Jack And Sally
by LyricalKris
Summary: Like the roller-coasters in Disneyland, Edward's life becomes a ride full of ups, downs and surprises all thanks to his newest coworker with odd obsession for the Nightmare before Christmas.
1. Prologue: Were You Born An Asshole

**A/n: This was written for the Gift Exchange**** for ****ciaobella27. I had never heard of her before I got my notification from Ginny and Shug. What. A. Match. I fell in love with her writing style and her story, Living Backwards. It's in my favorite stories list. You simply MUST check it out. **

**Disclaimer: These beautiful creatures belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

_**"Were you born an asshole?  
Or did you work at it your whole life?  
Either way it worked out fine  
'cause you're an asshole tonight."**___

_- The Asshole Song, Jimmy Buffett_

**BPOV**

It was Wednesday of the first week at my new job before I found something I liked about it.

The first two days I hadn't set foot in the office they had reserved for me. No, those two days were full of the really fun things – paper work, systems training, that kind of stuff. Wednesday, I finally got my office.

And it was stocked with office supplies.

I had a penchant for office supplies. There was just something about a pack of unopened pens that made me giddy, something about a fresh legal pad that just called to me. I know better than to walk into Staples or Office Depot, and I have been known to steal notebooks from friends who don't use them in a timely manner.

It was the pack of pencils that bothered me.

Pencils? Really? Who the fuck used a pencil in this day and age? And the wooden variety? Haven't we moved on from that? What's wrong with a mechanical pencil? They're fifty cents per pencil more and I can pretend like I'm James Bond, shoving some super secret weapon into the tip of the pencil in place of the lead.

The pencils bothered me for another reason. They weren't sharpened, making them even more useless than I had originally thought. Unsharpened pencils? What am I going to do with that? Give someone a splinter?

This place was stocked though, so surely... I glanced further into the compartmentalized drawer until I found what I was looking for. Pencil sharpener. Perfect.

A few minutes later I had 10 perfectly sharpened pencils lined up in front of me. I was downright anal retentive about it, making sure they were each the same size, right to the tip. Now what to do with them 'cuz I sure as fuck wasn't going to write with them.

Something was tugging at my memory as I stared down at the pencils. Something looked familiar. It took a few minutes for me to realize that they reminded me of one of my favorite moments in the X-Files. Scully goes on vacation and Mulder, bored as hell without her, gets into all sorts of weird shenanigans, ending with him throwing pencils at the ceiling. I glanced up, wondering if it was only television magic that made Mulder's pencils able to pierce ceilings. It looked solid enough to me.

I perched on the edge of my desk, my back to the door, trying to decide how one aimed upward. I've never been the most coordinated of people so this wasn't the kind of thing that came naturally. I practiced my wrists flicks several times before actually letting a pencil go. I watched, somewhat dismayed, as it flipped a few times, hit the ceiling and came ricocheting back at me. With a yelp, I threw my hands up to protect my precious head from the fallout.

That's when I heard it; possibly the most appealing chuckle I had ever heard. Now, I'm not the kind of girl who would get turned on by something as mundane as a chuckle, typically, but looking back - moans turn people on, why not a chuckle? Especially this one. It was all masculine and dead sexy.

I craned my neck backward catching a shock of what can only be described as delicious, bronze colored bed head, when gravity, my constant nemesis, decided I had spent entirely too much time upright lately. As I tumbled off the desk, arms flailing, I wondered if one could apply for workman's comp after only three days on the job.

But I never hit the floor. Instead, two strong arms braced themselves around me and I fell back against what I could tell was a very nicely toned chest. Not overly muscular but definitely defined, at least as far as I could feel through my shirt and his. Either way it was infinitely preferable to hitting the floor. And my God, did he smell good.

A little stunned, what with the falling and then being saved by a delicious smelling entity with sex hair, I didn't turn around as he steadied me, keeping one arm wrapped around my waist. "Are you alright?"

Of course, the voice matched the hair and the laugh and the chuckle. Sweet and smooth and sexy as hell. What the fuck was wrong with me?

Determined to put an end to the nonsense that was going on in my head, I turned to him intending to assure him I was just dandy. The snag occurred when I actually laid eyes on him. I've heard the term struck dumb before. I've even written it into my stories; that and every other standard cliché that essentially boils down to "Why yes, I find that person attractive". Before that very second, I would have told you that they were all creative license - an author's over-zealous way of capturing the essence of a moment; the thousand words that were worth the picture.

As it turns out - they all had their basis in reality because they all happened to me simultaneously. My heart fluttered. My knees went weak. My breath caught in my throat. And I was most definitely struck dumb. "You're fine," I said breathily. My brain did a mental face palm when it caught up to my lips, and I felt my cheeks get hot. "I mean. I'm fine. Thank you," I rushed to correct myself, blushing furiously.

The concern in his ridiculously deep, mesmerizing green eyes turned to amusement."No problem," he said easily. I saw his eyes flicker down momentarily then back up to meet mine. He smiled, and once again he took my breath away. Why couldn't he have had a gap tooth? A gap tooth surely would have broken this bizarre spell I seemed to be under. I looked down, surprised and embarrassed to find that my hands were resting lightly on his chest. I stepped away from him quickly, my face flushing red again. Great.

"You know, if you'd like, I can show you a technique. It might save you from a lethal head injury," he offered, crossing his arms and leaning against the door jamb.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You have a technique?"

He smirked back at me. "It's all in the wrist."

"You use your wrist a lot, do you?" I said, my brain lagging behind again while my lips wouldn't stop moving. Christ, was I flirting? Hadn't I just signed a form yesterday stating that I implicitly understood the company's policy on sexual harassment?

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. He had bushy eyebrows. That should break the spell, right? I looked again. No such luck. The eyebrows seemed to fit his face. If anything they accentuated his expressions and drew attention to those beautiful, emerald eyes.

He recovered from his shock and grinned. I thought Han Solo had perfected the lopsided grin but no. Harrison Ford had nothing on this man. Sorry, Harry! His hands dropped to his sides and he took a slow step toward me. I unconsciously took a step back, bumping into the desk. He took another couple of steps, coming right into my personal bubble space. He reached forward, leaning on one hand against the desk, almost but not quite touching me. He brought his other hand up on my other side and...

Snatched a pencil from my desk and stood up straight.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, trying to shake off the feeling of electricity that ran through my body with his proximity. He was still smirking at me.

"Watch me," he said, unnecessarily as I was still staring at him. He sat on the edge of the desk next to me and I tried to ignore the crackling, the electricity that had every nerve in my body aware and alert - waiting for a bolt or a whole fucking lightning storm. He gripped the pencil in his right hand and flicked it upward. It shot straight, like an arrow - totally the opposite of how my pencil had flown - flip flopping like an out of control gymnast. His stuck to the ceiling, of course. He picked up another of the pencils and held it out to me. "You try."

My second try was much the same as the first. He chuckled as I ducked out of the way of the flying pencil, catching it before it hit my head. "You're flinging it," he said as he put the pencil back in my hand and wrapped my fingers around it. His fingers were long and...alluring? "You need to flick, not fling."

I blinked, momentarily dazed and confused. It took me a second to remember what he was talking about. Pencils. Right. "What's the difference between a fling and a flick?"

His eyes held a hint of mischief. "A fling is against company policy. A flick is what you go see when you don't care about adhering to said policy."

I think I gave up the pretense of breathing all together. Was he asking me out? His bizarrely and yet beguilingly long fingers were still wrapped around my hand, and his head was tilted, staring into my eyes. He was smirking that cocky little smirk again, but his eyes were intense, with just the slightest bit of panic and uncertainty in their depths. That was somewhat comforting, to think that he maybe was stumbling through this surreal meeting just like I was.

My mouth opened. I will never know what I was about to say because right at that moment someone cleared their throat.

Both of our heads snapped up to where a good looking African-American man leaned against the doorway. "I wasn't aware that Miss Swan has been here long enough to get mail, Mr. Cullen," he said with an air of disdain. I hadn't realized until that very moment that I had no idea what this beautiful stranger's name was. I watched out of the corner of my eye as his shocked expression turned into a tight lipped glare.

"Mr., uh, Cullen was just introducing himself, that's all," I covered.

The condescending asshole in the doorway quirked one eyebrow. "That's about the longest handshake I've ever seen."

I looked down at the same time he did, and realized that Mr. Cullen's hand was still wrapped around mine. He let go of me as if he suddenly realized he was holding a hot potato, and I let go of the pencil. It hit the ground with a dull thud.

Jackass had the audacity to smirk at our discomfort. "Edward, your mail cart seems full," he said, gesturing to what was indeed a cart of mail outside the door to my office. I put it together pretty easily then. Edward Cullen's position here seemed to be some sort of mail clerk, and the asshole in my doorway was making certain to rub his spot on the totem pole in his face. What. A. Prick. But I couldn't afford to tell him off as I longed to, at least not until I was sure of his position in the company. _Three days, Bella, _I reminded myself. Three days in and I already hated the company politics that dictated I had to stay silent and let this total dickwad say whatever he wanted.

Edward glared at Douchebag once more before tilting his head once at me and striding out the door. I opened my mouth automatically to call him back but, of course, I had no excuse. Besides, Asshat stepped in front of me, blocking my view of Edward. "So, Miss Swan. I wanted to stop by and welcome you to the company. I'm Tyler Crowley and I'm the head of the sales department." I could have guessed that. I think it's practically a prerequisite to be a world class asshole if you were in sales. Either way it meant that he wasn't my direct superior at the very least. "I haven't caught your first name."

"It's Bella," I said in a clipped tone. I was about to launch into some bit of sass when a knock on the door frame interrupted me. My icy stare melted instantly. It was Edward.

But he wasn't looking at me. He was looking at Tyler. "Mr. Crowley? Since you're here, sir," he sneered the word, "I have some of your mail." The way he smirked as he held the small stack out, the item on top tilted toward me so I could easily read it, made me curious. I peeked and instantly had to put my hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle.

Apparently, Tyler Crowley had Cosmo magazine delivered to him at work.

Tyler snatched the stack out of Edward's hands, glaring at him. "Thank you," he said through gritted teeth. "Next time please deliver my mail to my office, as we discussed."

As Tyler turned his back to me, Edward's innocent expression faded into a mischievous grin. He winked at me before he turned and strode back out of the office. As he wheeled his cart away he started whistling. It took me a moment to recognize the twangy, country tune but when I did recognize it I couldn't help but snicker. He was whistling Jimmy Buffett's The Asshole Song!

"What's so funny?" Tyler asked suspiciously.

I just shook my head. "Nothing, nothing. I was just, uh, thinking of something in my head," I said quickly. Nice recovery, Swan. Not.

But it seemed to appease Tyler, and he smiled what I imagine he thought was a charming smile as he stepped closer to me. Unfortunately, I was already pressed against my desk so I had nowhere to back away from him. "It's almost lunchtime, Bella. I was wondering if you'd like to go out to lunch. You know, I can tell you a lot about the people worth knowing in this company."

I had to fight to keep the grimace off my face. As the new girl, I knew it was not a good move to turn down his offer. He was higher up than I was and I didn't need to be making enemies 3 days into a new position regardless. _You wouldn't have told Edward no, _the little voice in my head reminded me before I mentally told her to shut the fuck up. "Well, I-, " I stumbled, trying to figure out a good way to turn him down.

"Cinderbella!" a booming voice came from the doorway.

"Sully!" A grin spread across my face as Emmett McCarty came flying at me, forcing Tyler to the side just by the sheer size of him. I threw my arms around his neck as he lifted me off my feet in a monster hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the neighborhood so I came to take you out to lunch," he said, setting me down and looking at Tyler."Unless you've got plans, of course."

It wasn't lost on me that Tyler was eying how close Emmett and I were standing together. I leaned into Emmett purposefully, worrying my lip between my teeth to give Tyler the impression that I really wanted to go with Emmett instead of him - which was the case anyway. I felt Emmett chuckle beside me as he figured out what was going on. He stood up straight and I didn't miss Tyler's expression going slightly wider as he took in Emmett's thick, muscular shoulders.

"That's alright Miss Swan," Tyler said quickly, "I just remembered there's a meeting I need to prepare for anyway." He turned on his heel and strode out of my office without another word.

I let my innocent, non-annoyed expression fade as soon as his back was turned. I rolled my eyes as I turned to Emmett. "Thank god for your sense of timing."

Emmett laughed his loud laugh, "Boy trouble already, Princess?"

I chose to ignore him. "How did you find my desk?"

"The receptionist was very helpful. Jessica, isn't it? With the nonchalant questions about what my relation to you is?" Emmett waggled his eyebrows.

"That's Jessica for sure," I replied. Even in just three days I could already tell that Jessica was probably the biggest gossip in the office.

"Nice legs, not bad at all. Although, if she's the best the office has to offer, it's no wonder the boys are already all over you."

I smacked his arm hard, though my mind automatically took me to some not so PG rated fantasies about a certain, bronze haired man being "all over" me. "Didn't you say you were going to feed me?"

Emmett grinned and gestured to the doorway. "After you, your highness."

**EPOV**

_Fantastic job, Cullen. Practically proposition the new girl before you even know her name and her boyfriend looks like he can beat your ass with his pinky finger._

I sighed as I watched Bella Swan and the Hulk leave her office. If she told him about our meeting he would surely kick my ass. I know I would kick my ass if I was him.

Hell, I wanted to kick my own ass for my behavior in her office. What in the name of all that was holy had gotten into me? I sighed again, watching the grin on her face as she spoke to Gigantor, holding onto his elbow as they walked.

"I know what you mean, Cullen," said an all too familiar voice. I hadn't noticed but at some point Mike Newton came to stand beside me. He was watching Bella's retreating form as well, shaking his head wistfully. It wasn't unusual for Mike to ogle women in the office. What was unusual was the overwhelming urge I had to kick him square in the ass for staring at hers. "You know that had to be taken."

"She's probably a bitch anyway," I said dismissively. It was something that Mike would have said and the words felt like absolute shit leaving my mouth, but hopefully it would get him to drop the subject before I could add a second write-up for the day. Sexual harassment charges and a fist fight with a co-worker would not look good on my personal record.


	2. Caress Me Down

**Disclaimer: These beautiful creatures belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

_**"When I kiss mixie it makes me feel horny **__**  
**__**Cause I'm the type of lover with the sensitivity **__**  
**__**When she kiss my neck and tickle me fancy **__**  
**__**She give me the right kind of love on Sunday morning"**__**  
**__-Caress Me Down, Sublime___

**  
October 1  
EPOV**

"Leaving early again today, Duracell?"

"Gah!" I exclaimed, startled. It was an ungodly hour of the morning and I had been hoping to slip out of the apartment without my roommate and sister, Alice, being any wiser about it. Unfortunately, the kitchen opened to the entry hall and Alice sat at the table, calmly spooning bites of Life cereal into her mouth while she stared at me knowingly. I hated it when she stared at me knowingly. It meant that she knew something I probably didn't want her to know. Such as why I was leaving for work early. "You scared me, Freak," I admonished.

Alice continued to chew, staring at me for another moment before she stood and put her bowl in the sink. "Wait here, I need to brush my teeth. You're giving me a ride and then you can explain to me why this is the fourth time in as many weeks that you're going in early," she said as she wandered back toward her bathroom. "And don't bother telling me it's work related, because I know it isn't," she called cheerfully, her voice fading as she walked further into the apartment.

I sighed and threw myself down in a chair to wait. I knew better than to argue with Alice.

Alice was not my blood sister, but we were as close as two siblings could possibly be. We told people that we were twins sometimes, because we were born on the same day, but in reality, Alice and I met in a foster home when we were 5. My parents had both died, and Alice's, for reasons she doesn't know even now, had abandoned her. I had been hiding in some dark, lonely corner of the foster home we lived in when she had poked her little head into my hiding space. She just looked at me and I glared back at her. She stuck out her hand and, for some reason, I took it. I followed her outside while she talked a mile a minute and I said nothing. She jabbered at me for a week straight about everything and anything that came into her head. When I finally told her to shut up, they were the first words I'd spoken since my parent's death. She was exactly what I needed at that point in my life.

We were best friends. Sometimes it felt like there was no one else in the world but the two of us. We never really got along with the other kids that came and went through the foster home, so most of the time we were each others only playmates. Two years passed and a young couple showed interest in adopting me. I remember wanting, badly, to go with them, but I could see Alice was terrified. Even though every kid in our position dreamed of getting adopted, I politely thanked the couple but told them I wanted to stay with Alice. I was exactly what she needed at that point in her life.

Luckily for us, the couple who wanted to adopt me wanted two kids eventually, and, seeing us together with our hands clasped tightly, they could not bear to separate us. They adopted us both. Carlisle and Esme Cullen had not been able to have kids of their own. Knowing that older kids often had a difficult time getting adopted, especially ones with my and Alice's history, Esme had insisted on adopting in our age range.

Alice and I were lucky - for each other and for our loving mother and father. What happened to my parents, well, sucked, but I couldn't have asked for a better family.

Even right now when I was really not looking forward to the 25 minute commute to work with her and her version of the Spanish Inquisition.

Alice and I lived in Orange, CA, but both worked in the city of office buildings, Irvine, CA. Alice taught kickboxing and didn't have to be at work until after noon, but she also had a penchant for shopping. Both of our jobs were conveniently near Fashion Island - a mall of epic proportions and one of Alice's favorite places.

"Alright, spill," Alice said as we pulled out of the garage. "And no lies," she warned.

I grumbled under my breath.

The truth of the matter was that a week or so after Bella Swan started work, she had decorated her office from top to bottom with Nightmare Before Christmas paraphernalia. She had posters and wall-hangings - even figurines.

I vividly remembered the day she brought everything in. I'd stopped outside her office with my mail cart to find her balancing on her toes on her desk. She was trying to hang one of her posters. I swear I'd been about to offer my assistance, but I was captivated by the delicious way her jeans hugged her hips and flowed down her long legs. The hunter green shirt she wore set off the auburn highlights in her hair perfectly. There was a subtle grace about her body as she stood, arms stretched above her head trying to pin the poster up.

Then she'd shifted and lost her balance. She swayed and fell, but I got there in time to catch her again.

Just as the first time, the feel of her small body against mine sent a thrill through me. It was different though, because her startled arms went around my neck. I could feel hear heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my chest. And her smell - my god. Sweet, floral and feminine. I wanted to press my tongue against the skin of her neck to see if she tasted as good as the scent she exuded.

My mouth started moving before I could think about what I was saying. "You know, there are better ways to start a conversation. This is a little extreme as far as ice breakers go."

_W.T.F. Cullen?_ What had possessed me to say something like that?

Bella's response was to turn a bright shade of pink.

That might have been my subconscious reason. Her blush was adorable, as I remembered.

Then I remembered the boyfriend that could flatten my face with his fist, and I remembered the latest figures of how much a sexual harassment lawsuit could cost both me and the company. I set her down quickly and stepped away.

Looking anywhere but her eyes, I'd noticed the box on her desk, filled with all things Jack Skellington.

I sighed again, shaking off the memory, and looked at my sister. "A co-worker of mine is obsessed, I mean obsessed with the Nightmare Before Christmas. She has all kinds of -"

Before I could continue Alice interrupted. "Wait, she?"

I glared at my sister and then continued as if she hadn't interrupted. "She has everything from posters to figurines. Sometimes I come in before she gets to work, before anyone gets to work, so I can...mess with her stuff."

Alice stared at me.

"I hung all her posters upside down last week," I said, hoping she'd laugh with me. I'd laughed all day. I almost laughed again remembering the look on her face. It was quite possibly the funniest thing I'd ever seen in my life.

Alice stared at me.

I tried to keep my eye on the road, but I felt Alice's eyes on me, making me uncomfortable. I glanced at her several times before I lost it. "What?!"

"Edward Cullen...do you have a schoolboy crush?!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, come off it Alice," I protested automatically. "You just want to read too much into things because she's a girl, that's all."

"This is the grown up version of schoolyard bullying. You remember when you used to pull little girls pigtails when you liked them?"

I scowled at my sister. "I never pulled anyone's pigtails."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, when they used to pull YOUR pigtails. Don't get off subject, Edward. Let's look at the facts here. You're not a morning person, yet here you are, going into work so you can mess with someone's stuff. This will be the fourth week you've pulled a prank on her, so it's not like you're losing interest in your little joke." She tilted her head, looking at me with an entirely too amused grin on her face. "And you have a twinkle in your eye."

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "My eyes do not twinkle."

"They do today. What's her name?"

Luckily, by that time I had arrived at our destination. "Get out of my car."

"What's her name?" Alice insisted.

I sighed. "Bella."

Alice narrowed her eyes at me but exited the car. She poked her head back in with a warning. "Don't think you've heard the last of this, Edward." As she closed the door she turned back and grinned, waving cheerfully.

As soon as she had her back turned I glanced in the mirror. My eyes didn't look brighter nor did I see any telling sparkle like you read about. I looked annoyed. Clearly, my sister was delusional.

I had almost convinced myself not to go forward with my plan, but, remembering Bella's surprised look from last week, I found myself in her office before I could talk myself out of it. Grumbling to myself, I started to rearrange all the figurines that had been on her desk into compromising positions around her office. Sally with her face buried in Dr. Finklestein's crotch on the filing cabinet. Jack getting horizontal with Oogie Boogie on the window ledge. All of her toys became sexual deviants.

When I had finished the rest of the company was only barely starting to come to life. I slipped out of her office without being noticed and headed for my desk and my ever familiar mail cart.

At eight on the dot I had holed myself up in an empty cubicle adjacent to Bella's office. She usually came in sometime between 8:00 and 8:15.

Watching a girl from afar? Schoolboy crush or creepy stalker behavior? The voice in my head sounded annoyingly similar to my sister.

"Sounds like crap when you say it," I mumbled out loud and ran a hand over my eyes. I told myself I wasn't stalking anyone, I just wanted to see her reaction to what I'd done to her things. After all, what's the point of a prank if you can't see the effect?

I heard her voice before I saw her. She was walking down the hallway, talking to someone on the phone. As she came around the corner, I briefly thanked the Southern California sun for shining brightly even though this was the first day in October. I also thanked the casual atmosphere of the company. If it wasn't for both of those factors she might have been covered up...though I had to admit, thinking about Bella in a power suit had its merits. I had been a follower of the X-Files and the whole thing Agent Scully had going on with power suits and heels unsuitable for her typical work day had been hot.

It wasn't as though Bella dressed skimpy. I just appreciated the way her jeans and shirts hugged her curves. She had a beautiful body.

Her affectionate, "Goodbye Beast, have a good day," as she put her phone away reminded me that she was not mine to look at. I banged my head lightly against the wall of the cubicle, a little disgusted with myself at my inability to get this girl out of my head. Thinking about someone that could not be mine as much as I thought about Bella couldn't lead to anything good.

Of course, the next moment I forgot all about why I should not pursue whatever this thing I had going on for Bella was. She had stepped into her office. I saw her pause and look around for a handful of seconds before I heard what was rapidly becoming one of my favorite sounds in the world: Bella's laughter.

It was a full bellied laugh of amusement and it made me ridiculously happy to have been the cause for it. I smiled as I watched her. She had taken out her phone again and was taking pictures of my handiwork.

I was considering dropping by her desk nonchalantly when Mike Newton beat me to the punch. I scowled as he leaned in Bella's doorway, watching her and obscuring my view.

"I didn't know it was photo day. Should I strike a pose?" he asked, striking one anyway. He threw his hands behind his head in a pose that, I assume, he meant to be sexy.

I didn't see Bella's look but I heard her voice. She was definitely amused. More, I secretly hoped, by my efforts than Mike's antics. "It looks like someone has left my toys to be caught in flagrante delicto. Although, pairing Sally with Dr. Finklestein is particularly heinous. It's just... no."

This brought the smile back to my face. Before I had interfered, she'd had Jack and Sally wrapped around each other. She was a romantic and she personified the figurines on her desk. Instead of thinking it was weird, I found it charming.

Lunch found me alone in the break room. Most everyone went out for lunch or ate at their desk so the break room was rarely used. I found the quiet nice. I could read or enjoy my iPod...or, more often than not these days, find myself distracted, thinking about Bella. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't understand. What was it about her that had me so entranced? From the moment I'd laid eyes on her, I hadn't stopped thinking about her. When she'd fallen into my arms that first time, my skin had felt like it was on fire. Instead of pain, I'd felt alive. My entire body was aware of her. My ears automatically perked up when I heard her voice. My mouth quirked into a smile when I saw her. Her face crept into my fantasies whether I wanted it to or not.

"Look at you, with the sparkle in your eye," Jessica Stanley's voice interrupted my memories. "You're in a good mood."

"It's Thursday. Tomorrow is payday. Who wouldn't be in a good mood?" I asked conversationally, ignoring the sparkle comment.

Jessica sighed, slumping a little at the table. "I have the day off. I should be in a good mood."

"But?" I prompted out of curiosity.

"It's my birthday. I had plans to go out with friends all day but they flaked on me," Jessica admitted, looking sad.

"Well...that's not very nice," I said sympathetically.

She shrugged, stirring her yogurt listlessly. "Oh well, at least I'll get to sleep in, right?"

I could see she was really upset and I didn't blame her. Having friends flake on you when you were excited about something sucked. Having friends flake on you, leaving you alone on your birthday, was another level of suck. I had an internal war with myself with what I was about to do. Jessica Stanley had made her attempts to flirt with me in the past. She just wasn't my type. She had a slightly valley girl thing going on that grated on me. Then again, she was nice enough and no one deserved to be alone on their birthday.

And maybe it would get Alice to back off about Bella.

Maybe it would help me back off about Bella.

"You know, Disneyland lets you into one park for free on your birthday this year. And I have an annual pass. If you want to go..." I let my offer trail off, not knowing how she would react to the Disneyland aspect. I know a fair share of people who hate Disneyland on principle.

She looked up, obviously shocked. "Disneyland. I haven't been there in like, ten years. But isn't it something you really should have all day to do?"

I shrugged and leaned in conspiratorially. "I might be coming down with a cold. If I do, it'd be better not to come in sick and infect the whole office. Don't you think?"

She giggled and we made arrangements. Since she lived out further than I did, she agreed she would come to my place to pick me up. I lived on the same street that Disneyland was on, although in Southern California that could mean I lived 25 miles away. Luckily for me, being a Disney-aholic, I only lived about 4 miles down the road.

***  
Jessica was better company than some. She wasn't as enthusiastic as I was about the Disney experience, but I suppose that was asking too much. As an adult, I loved Disneyland more than I had as a kid. It was just something about the constant upgrading in technology, and I will admit the sentimentality of connecting the generations. My grandmother, Esme's mother, often told me stories about how she watched Disneyland being built when she was 10 years old. Get me drunk enough and I'd even admit to getting teary eyed at the Remember, Dreams Come True fireworks show that mixed old school Disney with new. Past and present, just like those commercials where the parents go to Disneyland with their kids and it's like they're kids again. It was amazing to think that one place had been bringing joy to so many for so many years.

Yea, I could be a sentimental prick. Sue me.

It was about 4PM when I decided to reward Jessica for being such a good sport. Despite the fact that she obviously was not a huge fan of roller coasters, she had gotten on California Screaming with me. She took the screaming part literally. My ears were still ringing. To calm her frazzled nerves we walked down to Paradise Pier where there were several restaurants - and more importantly - beer, wine and margarita vendors.

"Seriously? Alcohol in Disneyland?" Jessica asked, incredulous.

"Well, this is Disney California Adventures. They had to get people in here somehow," I quipped. Suffice to say, the park had not been as popular, when it originally opened, as Disney had hoped. "What's your poison?"

"Margarita, definitely," Jessica said.

"Hey, Jessica, Edward!" a booming, unfamiliar, male voice called. I whirled around; stunned to find Bella's grinning, bear of a boyfriend waving at me. Bella was staring at him, looking somewhat mortified, but as her eyes turned to me she smiled a small, embarrassed looking smile. I felt my lips automatically tug upward and my feet propelling me forward before I had a chance to think about it.

"I'm sorry," Bella said as I came up beside her. "I told Emmett not to interrupt your date."

Emmett laughed again before I could answer. "Jessie's always glad to see me, aren't you? I missed you today when I picked up Cinderbella."

"It's my birthday," Jessica explained, gesturing to the Happy Birthday button they had given her at the front gate. She looked up at me with a smile. "Edward rescued me from being alone since my friends bailed."

"Well, that was nice of you Edward," Emmett said, turning his amused eyes on me. He didn't look nearly as intimidating with that goofy grin on his face. The man had dimples. Jesus Christ.

Then he stood up and I was intimidated again. "I'm Emmett McCarty," he said, sticking his hand out.

Knowing a man challenge when I saw one I didn't hesitate to grip his hand firmly. "Edward Cullen." I resisted the urge to flex my fingers when he released me from his bone crushing handshake.

"Here," Emmett pushed one of the two beers he had in front of him toward me. "I'll go pick up a couple of margaritas for the girls. My treat, for your birthday." He waggled his eyebrows playfully at Jessica and then trotted off to the margarita line. Jessica excused herself to go to the bathroom leaving me alone with Bella. I cast one more look at Emmett's huge form standing not too far away to remind myself to behave.

"You don't look sick," I teased her lightly.

"Said the pot to the kettle," she smiled at me again and my breath hitched. "I took a half day today. I can't wait to see the Halloween stuff in Disneyland but, of course, Emmett needed his alcohol fix. You know, it's been years and he still giggles like a little kid over being able to drink booze in a Disney theme park."

I chuckled and sipped the beer Emmett had shoved at me. I preferred the wine but it was across the way and I wasn't about to go anywhere. "They had the Haunted Mansion ready yesterday. And I heard Bob is a big success."

"Bob?" she asked, her eyebrows crinkling in confusion.

I grimaced. That had slipped out. "You know they changed up Space Mountain for Halloween?" She nodded. "Bob is the little alien thing that follows you around in the ride," I explained reluctantly. "There's this forum - Mice Chat - where a lot of the annual passholders talk, and some of the programmers and other Disneyland employees post to it too. The programmers are the ones that named it Bob."

"Bob," she repeated with a grin instead of balking at my display of nerdiness. "They named the dragon from Fantasmic Murphy, no?"

Now it was my turn to grin. Disney had upgraded the dragon from their nighttime river show after many years that summer only to have everything that could go wrong go wrong. Hence, the Disney programmers had taken to calling the dragon Murphy after Murphy's Law.

Jessica and Emmett came back and we all talked fairly easily. I found myself watching Emmett and Bella. They were close, that much was certain, but there was something off about them. They didn't seem as intimate as they should have been. I found my ire peaked. I couldn't fathom having Bella and not touching her in some way every second we were together. Even now the energy between us crackled like some sort of intense magnetism, beckoning me to just brush her hand or tuck the errant strand of hair out of her face.

An empty, neon green plastic cup being slammed down on the table in front of me distracted me from that line of thought. Emmett was eyeing me with an expression that was much more annoyed amusement than stop eye-fucking my lady. "Now that you have some liquid courage in you," he began, turning away from me to look at Bella. "I think today is the day, Bella."

"No," she blurted, shaking her head.

"It's time. Time for the Tower," Emmett pointed to where the Tower of Terror was, a little ways across the park.

Bella looked like she was going to protest again but then Jessica spoke up. "It's a drop ride, right? I want to go on that. I mean, I go bungee jumping so it won't be like that, but it should be fun."

Setting her mouth in thin, determined line, Bella looked up at Emmett. "Fine. Let's do it."

Emmett's eyebrows shot up. "Really?!"

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Bella nodded. She looked green already. "Bella, if you don't want to go," I started, but she cut me off.

"I'll be fine," she said brusquely, gathering all the cups as she stood. She walked off to the trashcans without another word.

I hadn't noticed before, since she had been sitting down, but she was wearing the most adorable little dress I had ever seen. It wasn't too short, but nor was it too long. It was simple, gray and cotton with a design along the side that led to - of course - Jack Skellington heads. She was wearing it over black leggings and had a light, open jacket over it that covered her arms against the cooler than summer but unseasonably hot day. The now too familiar warmth spread through my body. I adored this woman for reasons I really couldn't understand.

As we got to the line, Emmett's phone started blaring "Baby got back". "I'll catch up with you guys," Emmett waved at us as he stepped to the side and flipped open his phone.

Bella looked irritated, but as she looked over at us she smiled tightly. "Baby Got Back?" I prodded lightly as we walked to the end of the line.

"That's Rosalie," Bella explained. Then she gave a little laugh. "She hates that song. If she knew that he made that her ring tone, she would have a fit."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "He's got that ring tone for another woman, and it doesn't bother you?" I asked before I could stop myself. Fuck me and my lack of filter around this woman.

Bella furrowed her eyebrows, thoroughly confused. "Why would Emmett's ring tone for his girlfriend bother me?"

Oh. OH.

Well, fuck.

"I just thought you looked annoyed, that's all," I covered lamely.

Bella shrugged, looking away. At first I thought she was going to let it go, but then she started talking again. "Emmett and I have been friends since grade school. We're close. But he's like my big brother. I don't have feelings for him like that. Rosalie doesn't like how close we are. Whenever we're out alone, she calls a bunch of times. It's just irritating."

"Why don't you invite her out with you?" Jessica said with a tinge of judgment in her voice. I had to try not to glare at her.

"We do, of course we do," Bella responded, standing up a little straighter, obviously insulted by the implication. "We all go out together, when we can. Rosalie doesn't like me very much. And she hates the whole Disney thing. But Emmett and I kind of grew up with it." She shrugged.

Emmett made his reappearance then and we got on the ride not long after. Bella was bone white by the time we were seated. We took up the first row with Emmett and Jessica on either end and me between Bella and Jessica. Bella was gripping Emmett's arm. "Easy bonny Belle," Emmett whispered to her. "Just remember, no one has died on this ride."

"Yet," Bella mumbled.

The attendant made some comment before she closed the doors to the "elevator" we sat in. "Oh, God," whispered. Then the lights went down, the ride started moving and she said it louder. "Oh, God!"

Then the ride shot up and she screamed. Suddenly, her hand came down on my arm. I was surprised by how much it hurt. The girl had the GI Joe Kung-Fu grip for sure.

Not a helpful thought, Cullen. My conscience, in my sister's voice again, chimed in.

"Shut up," I muttered to it, as the ride ground to a halt, high above the ground.

"Sorry!" Bella squeaked, thinking I was referring to her screaming. Her grip on my arm loosened.

"No, not you, I-," I started to explain, but of course the ride dropped us again at that moment. Even I screamed, having been momentarily distracted. Bella full on leaned into me.

A few seconds later the ride was over and the doors opened. Bella started giggling maniacally. "Cinderbella, are you okay?" Emmett said between chuckles.

She looked up at him, appeared momentarily confused and then looked over to where her hand was still clenched around my arm. "Oh! Oh my god. I'm sorry. I thought I was grabbing Emmett. I just panicked," she babbled as she let go of me.

"Don't worry about it," I murmured, completely amused by her sudden burst of hyper activity. She struggled to get out of her restraints but she was shaking. It was a typical response for this ride. She got up and stumbled off after Emmett. I turned to Jessica to make sure she was okay. She was looking after Bella with a slightly bemused expression.

"I'm glad we went on that ride before we ate," Jessica commented as we walked. "The up and down thing does weird things to my stomach."

I covered my mouth to stop myself from snickering.

Just as we had gotten to the shop outside of the ride, Bella turned to face Jessica and me but she must have moved too fast. Her sense of equilibrium was still off. She swayed slightly and fell forward, straight into my arms. "Head rush," she said breathlessly, not hurrying to move. I knew I was frozen to the spot. She looked up and I felt like I was drowning in the depths of her eyes. I saw her giddiness at the adrenaline that the ride had brought, happiness, I assumed at being here with her best friend, and just a little of an incredulity that made me hope she was feeling the same things I was. That she was feeling this baffling current that ran through us, which sparked where our skin touched.

"Take it easy, Princess," Emmett said, wrapping a steadying arm around her waist and pulling her out of my arms. Emmett made eye contact with me long enough that I saw the disapproval on his face before he put his easy grin back on. "Let's switch parks," he suggested.

"Uh, right," Bella said, seeming a bit dazed. She shook her head and leaned on him for support as we walked out of the store.

I fell into step beside Jessica as we made our way out of DCA and over to Disneyland. What was going on with Emmett? He wasn't quite acting possessive, but the look he'd shot me was certainly not pleased at the lingering hold I'd had on Bella.

It occurred to me that Emmett might be under the impression Jessica and I were more than just friends. I belatedly remembered Bella apologizing for Emmett interrupting our "date". Hell, we weren't even friends, really. Surely, Emmett must have picked up on the fact that this wasn't a date - or else why would we have joined him and Bella? Jessica was always skirting the borderline of annoying the hell out of me.

I wondered if I was sending Jessica the wrong impression by bringing her here. Did she think it was a date? I didn't want to lead anyone on. Still, the basis of Emmett's irritation, if I was right, remained. It was rude to be here with one person and be more involved with someone else in the group.

So after that I tried to behave myself. After all, in over a month that Bella had worked where I worked, she had not really sought me out to talk to me or else showed any interest in doing so. I had just chalked this up to her being with someone, but if she was free and, despite the often surreal, titillating atmosphere around us during our few encounters, she had not voiced or even hinted at being interested...

Even after my realization, which was a punch to the gut, I'm not going to lie; I had a great time through the afternoon and the rest of the evening. We grabbed fast passes for the Halloween-ized Space Mountain and hit several rides on our way to our agreed dinner destination - Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square. Bella insisted on riding the Haunted Mansion ride before dinner since the Haunted Mansion was always decked out in Nightmare Before Christmas gear from October to the end of December. We took in Fantasmic from the terrace of the Cafe Orleans while we ate, and we watched the new Halloween fireworks.

Despite the fact that I made sure not to touch her or watch her overtly, I always had Bella in my peripheral vision. I just couldn't help it. She fascinated me.

We passed by Ray Bradbury's Halloween Tree and I learned that her favorite Ray Bradbury story was the same as mine - There Will Come Soft Rains. Her excitement as we neared the Haunted Mansion was, for lack of a better word, adorable. There was a noticeable bounce in her step and when we got inside the Mansion, she was mouthing every word of the storyline that played. She actually waved to the miniature Sally as we got off the ride. While we sat down to dinner she bounced her head in time to the music of Fantasmic, miming Mickey's dance moves with her hands pulled close to her chest. Emmett one upped her and did the whole monkey dance, but I was watching her face as she laughed - unrestrained and completely unworried. And then, during the fireworks show as Zero flew over the castle and Jack's head filled the brilliant LED screen they had going on, her eyes were glowing with a childlike sense of wonder.

Did I mention how much I love Disneyland?

We finally got to the tram and everyone was exhausted. The chill that had been missing from the day had permeated the evening. I had wrapped my jacket around Jessica when I had noticed she was getting cold. Bella had rested her head against Emmett's shoulder.

The tram operator began his usual spiel about hands and arms inside the tram. "If an item should fall off the tram while the tram is in motion, simply raise your hand. I will raise my hand and together, we will wave good-bye to the item," the operator quipped.

All four of us blinked at each other before bursting into laughter.

"Guess he was trying to see if everyone was awake," Emmett said.

All too soon we were at the parking structure. It turned out that we were both parked on the Donald level. "Do you know what bugs me about the Donald level is the inconsistency," Bella mumbled randomly, looking more than a little tired as we rode the escalator to the correct level. "On the pillars, he's all smiles, just like everyone else, but on the signs above the roadway, he's all pissy."

This woman was making it entirely impossible for me not to adore her.

"Well, Donald wouldn't be Donald if he wasn't pissy," Emmett offered.

"Consistency, Beast! Why does he get two poses when no one else does?" Bella insisted.

She turned long enough to say good-bye, a smile lighting up her face when she turned to me. I swear my heart stuttered. This woman was going to be the death of me.

I forced myself to shake her influence off so I could pay attention to Jessica as we got into her car. "So? Did you have a good time?"

"I did, actually," Jessica said, smiling. "I'm pretty sure my feet are going to fall off, but I think it was worth the experience. You know, so many people said Happy Birthday to me today. I think that's a nice touch. Thanks so much for everything. Especially these," she tapped the frilly, pink Princess ears I'd bought her. Getting Mickey ears was just a rite of passage at Disneyland. It was a must, although I have to admit I had to resist the eye roll when she went Princess on me.

"I'm glad you had fun," I said, closing my eyes and leaning my head against the seat.

"You know...you should tell her," Jessica said quietly.

"What?" My eyes snapped open.

"Bella. You like her, don't you?" Jessica glanced over at me with curious eyes.

Damn, Jessica was the biggest gossip in the entire office. "Jessica...I don't," I started to protest.

"Relax. I know my reputation, but I do know when to keep my mouth shut," Jessica said. "I'm not going to tell her before you do."

I sighed and banged my head against the seat. "It's obvious?"

"Not to her - which is hysterical by the way. You know, most of the women in the office would be beside themselves if you looked at them the way you look at her," she shook her head ruefully. We had pulled up to my apartment complex by that point and I got out. "Thanks again, Edward. And really...you should tell her."

She pulled away and I fished around in my pockets for my keys. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a voice came from beside me. "Tell who what?"

"Gah!" I exclaimed for the second time in as many days. "Alice, Jesus Christ, were you waiting up for me?"

"Not technically," Alice said, following me in the door of our apartment. "Now, tell who what?" she demanded.

I sighed as I threw myself onto the couch. This was going to be a long night. Especially because it started with the words I always hated saying to my sister.

"You were right."


	3. Can You Remember

**Disclaimer: These beautiful creatures belong to Stephenie Meyer**

"_**Believe in the magic in our lives  
Just open up your heart,  
And relive the feeling.**_

-Can You Remember, Disneyland's Believe In Holiday Magic Fireworks Show conclusion

**November 13**

**BPOV**

I was sitting in my chair, in my office, staring at the ceiling.

Typically, when I was doing this, I was daydreaming. Well, if I wanted to be honest about it, and I didn't, I was still daydreaming, but I was also looking at an amazing display of someone having entirely too much time on their hands.

My entire ceiling was littered with Nightmare Before Christmas cards.

The day dreaming had come into play when I started to try to figure out who was fucking with my stuff every week. I always managed to figure out a way that Edward could be the culprit. After all, he was the one who had delivered these cards to me. I'd ordered them to come to work because I knew if I sent them home I'd be impatient to get them. Seeing my excitement when the box arrived, Edward had stayed to see what all the fuss was about.

I'm sorry, finding the entirety of the Nightmare Before Christmas Trading Card Game for the price I had was phenomenal. If the sender had lived close enough, I would have driven out to get them.

I had left the cards at work because there were some days when I could use a pick-me-up and it just comforted me that they were there. Edward knew they were there...so clearly, it could be him that was playing all these ridiculous, and admittedly hysterical, pranks on me every week.

Then again, whoever had been doing it obviously had no qualms with fucking with my stuff. All that he or she would have had to have done was see the box on my desk and open it to find the cards. It could have been anyone.

But I preferred to imagine it was Edward.

I also preferred to imagine copious amounts of office sex happening in my office. With him.

Over two months later and he still had most of my spare thoughts, and all of my more erotic fantasies. I banged my head on my desk with a little more force than I had been intending. "Ow!"

"Don't hurt yourself!" came a voice which had starred in none of my fantasies, despite his frequent attempts at flirting. Mike Newton. "What would some of us do if the office was deprived of you? Hey, I rhymed."

"Good morning, Mike," I said, rubbing my head.

"Good morning," he said cheerfully. "Why are we head-desking today?"

Instead of answering, I gestured above me. His eyes darted up and then his mouth gaped open. Not attractive, by the way. "Wow. Who did all that?"

"I wish I knew," I said, running through the list of people who got here before me every day. "Unfortunately, whoever it is seems to have flown under everyone's radar. Or they're all covering for him...or her."

"An office mystery," Mike said with what I think was supposed to be some sort of British accent. Obviously, he had been watching the trailer for the new Sherlock Holmes movie too many times.

"Nothing like a good mystery to keep you up nights," I mumbled.

"So, speaking of mysteries. I was wondering if," Mike started, and I had to bite back a groan. He had been persistently trying to get me to go out with him.

Then several things happened at once.

I heard Edward's voice first. I always did. I swear I could pick up his smooth, even timbre from across the office. Except today he sounded agitated, and close. "Alice!"

Then a little black head appeared, peaking around Mike. "Excuse me!" the girl said pleasantly, before elbowing past him into my office. It might have been rude but it didn't look like she weighed much so it couldn't have hurt. Still, Mike looked a little flabbergasted. She looked at me and smiled a brilliant smile. "Hello. You must be Bella," she said cheerfully. Her eyes raked me up and down, assessing me, though curiously I didn't feel judged at all.

"Alice," Edward's voice, still irritated, now came from my doorway. He stood behind Mike, looking a little flustered. Flustered was a good look on him. Of course, everything was. The Alice creature didn't even bother to turn towards him. She was looking around the room. He rolled his eyes and then looked up at me apologetically. "I'm sorry. This is my sister, Alice. She seems to have forgotten everything our mother taught us about manners."

"Oh, lighten up, Duracell," Alice snapped at her brother, not in an angry way, but in a familiar, teasing way. She looked back at me. "I'm sorry for busting in here. Edward's just told me so much about you...your Nightmare Before Christmas Collection. I just had to see it for myself. Very impressive." She looked up, and her eyes widened. Curiously, instead of looking at me, she stared back at her brother with a smirk on her face when she asked the next question. "So, Bella, you ran out of room on the walls and had to use the ceiling?"

Edward narrowed his eyes at his sister but then he looked over at me. He almost looked nervous. "I didn't do that," I said, thoroughly confused about whatever conversation I was missing between then. "Someone has been messing with my stuff on a weekly basis."

Alice finally turned back to me and she smiled again. "Office pranks. You know, I heard of a guy who had his floor completely covered, from desk to door, with glasses of water."

"I'll just...go," Mike, forgotten by everyone, made his escape. I felt a little sorry for him, but that feeling didn't last long as I was still trying to piece together what was happening. That Edward talked about me outside of work was a very interesting bit of information to have. Of course, it completely conflicted with the other bits of information about Edward Cullen that were currently wandering around my brain. Like the fact that he wasn't interested in me. That was a big one.

And I wasn't supposed to be interested in him. Dammit.

I forced myself to clear my head. "So," I said, before realizing I had no idea what else to say.

The need to say anything was alleviated as Alice brushed passed me, going to look out the window. "This is not a bad view at all. I mean, as far as office in Irvine views go."

"It's nice enough. I like the desert more than I like the hills though."

"Hmm," Alice said thoughtfully. Without turning around she moved onto her next question. "So what are you going to do if you ever find out who's been pranking you?"

I found it disconcerting to speak to someone's back. Actually, this entire scenario was more than a little surreal. Either way, I turned back to give Edward a slightly incredulous look as I answered his sister. "When I find the person responsible for all of this, they will rue the day they messed with me," I deadpanned.

Edward's eyebrows shot up. He looked...worried? "Why?"

"Because a prank war of epic proportions will ensue, of course," I answered, perplexed at the look on his face.

Edward burst out laughing. "Sounds like there will be hell to pay," he said in a mock serious voice, as if doubted I could bring the pain.

I narrowed my eyes at him playfully. "You've met Emmett. You think that man is not capable of some serious pranking? Believe me, I've learned from the best."

"The best?" came a disparaging voice from the doorway. "Man, I've out-pranked Emmett on his best day."

"Mushu!" I exclaimed happily, finding my other best friend Jasper Hale standing behind Edward and grinning at me. Rosalie Hale and I might not get along, but I would never regret her presence in my life. Not only did she make Emmett happy, but she brought her twin brother Jasper into our little equation.

"Mushu?" Alice giggled and I turned back to her. She was still facing the window but as she spoke she began to turn around. "Like the dragon from, Mulan? Doesn't look dangero-," she cut off abruptly as she turned, her eyes frozen wide on something behind me.

I turned around, wondering if there was some huge ass spider on the wall but saw nothing but Edward in the doorway, looking at his sister with a baffled expression on his face, and Jasper with ... pretty much exactly the same look as Alice had. His mouth had dropped open, and his eyes were wide as if he was listening to some profound piece of music in his head. Except he wasn't listening to music. He was looking at Alice. A glance back at Alice confirmed that she was looking at him.

"Doesn't look dangerous, but is plenty influential?" Jasper said, still looking at no one but her.

A slow smile spread across Alice's face. "Oh, you look plenty dangerous to me," she said softly.

Jasper smiled his wide smile, full of teeth and I was taken aback. He never smiled that way for a stranger. "Not to you, Snow White," he said.

"Hey. Flying Jay. W.T.F. mate? Do you know Alice?" I asked, snapping my fingers in front of his face to get his attention.

No shit, the guy blinked as if he was coming out of a trance. His eyelids fluttered and he ran a hand through his longish, scraggly hair, looking sheepish. "Alice in Wonderland?"

Another smile from Alice who had yet to look away from him. "Alice Cullen, actually," she said, extending her hand to Jasper.

He took it, clasping it instead of shaking it. "Jasper Hale."

"Mushu," I snapped, not annoyed but wanting to see if he was going to do the blinking thing again. He did. He turned to me as if he was unsure where I'd come from. Hysterical. Weird, but funny. "So what are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Umm," he stalled while his brain rebooted I assumed. "Emmett sent me to feed you. He said he promised you sustenance but Rosalie is demanding his attention."

"His loss is our gain," Alice interjected. "I was just taking Edward to lunch. Won't you join us?"

Before I could even think about replying, Jasper blurted, "Yes. We'd be delighted."

Edward and I exchanged bewildered expressions. He mouthed, "Delighted?" and I just shook my head. I had no idea what had gotten into Jasper. He was the direct counterpoint to Emmett's hyperactivity. He was always calm and unflappable.

Suffice to say, it appeared he had been flapped.

Lunch went much the same way. Alice and Jasper rarely looked away from each other. After listening to them chat for a while, Edward apparently got bored. He started making faces at his sister. I stifled a giggle as he mimicked her laughter at something Jasper had said. Once he caught me looking he started making even weirder faces. For having such a gorgeous face, Edward could twist it in the oddest of ways.

Alice struck back in good time. When Edward made a wide eyed, open mouthed face she didn't even look at him as she jammed a bread stick in his mouth. I laughed even harder as Edward sputtered and choked. Then I made the mistake of looking over at Jasper. He had a classic what-the-fuck-just-happened look on his face that made me double over again.

I calmed down abruptly when I realized that Alice was asking Jasper to go to some kick-boxing training class tonight.

It was all fun and games until Snow White tried abscond with my Disney partner for the night. Normally, I would be fine with it, but today was November 13th. All of the Christmas stuff was up. The tree lighting was tonight and, well... I just wanted to be there.

"Um," Jasper started, looking back and forth between her and me. He wasn't looking directly at me, but I could tell by his nervousness he really wanted to go with Alice. Like. REALLY.

"Alice," Edward said, putting on a slightly hurt expression. "I thought you were going with me."

Now it was Alice's turn to stutter. She looked over at her brother with fire in her eyes. You know, she was small, but she was intimidating. If she had looked at me with the look she was giving Edward, I would have been squirming in my seat. Instead he just stared back at her, giving her a stern look.

Again with the silent communication thing. It was kind of creepy.

The moment is interrupted by Jasper's phone going off. "Excuse me," Jasper said, moving to get out of the booth. "It's work."

As soon as Jasper was out of earshot Alice turned back to Edward. "Edward, what's wrong with you? Don't beaver dam me!" she smacked her brother on the arm.

It took me a minute. Beaver dam, cock block. I decided right then that I liked Alice, even if she was trying to thieve my Disney company.

"Don't be rude, Freak. Bella had him first," he admonished. "They have plans tonight."

I was a little taken aback. "How did you know that? Are you some kind of mind reader?"

The side of Edward's mouth quirked up in that half smile I loved so much. It was a good thing Alice had not inherited that smile because all she would have had to have done was flash it and I would have given up Jasper in a heartbeat. "No, I don't have that particular gift, but I am fairly good at reading body language," he said.

I turned to Alice. "He's right. Jasper was going to go with me to Disneyland," I said apologetically.

"Oh, Disneyland." Alice deflated just a little, her shoulders slumping. Then she perked up again, a devilish look passing over her features for a second before she hid it. "Why don't we swap? Edward was bellyaching about going with me to my class because he wants to see the all the Christmas decorations."

My stomach fluttered at the thought of going to Disneyland with Edward again. But then I saw Edward's grin fall and my heart twisted. No interest...even though I thought we'd had fun the last time.

_You don't want him to have interest, remember? _Well, yea but it's always nice. Flattering.

"It's okay, Alice," I said quickly. "If Jasper wants to go with you, it's not like I can't reschedule. The decorations will be up until January 3rdd. There's plenty of time to see them."

"Really, Bella," Alice said, eyes wide and too-innocent, "Edward would love to go with you. Wouldn't you, Edward?"

I opened my mouth to protest - I don't care how much I loved even being near Edward, I was not a charity case - when Jasper came back. "Hey Mushu," I said before I could be hoisted on Edward again, "I was thinking, I'm feeling kind of tired. I think I'm just going to go home and take it easy tonight. Let's reschedule Disney."

Jasper raised his eyebrow at me. "Are you alright, Mulan? You've been bouncing around about the whole Disney Christmas thing for weeks."

"Don't worry about me. I don't think Disney is going to go out of business. Go to class with Alice. Learn how to kick some ass," I said.

Normally, Jasper would have seen through my false enthusiasm, but he was totally lost on this girl. Apparently the Cullen irresistibility was inherited...or learned. I found myself wondering what their parents looked like. I bet his dad was fuckhot. It's actually good he had no interest in me because I would probably end up having an affair with Papa Cullen and break poor Edward's heart.

I returned to the office fairly sure I was going insane. Not only was I having deviant fantasies about Edward but I was now mixing in a dose of soap opera drama into my dalliances with a man I had never even seen or met.

I needed help.

A knock on my door made me snap my head up only to find green eyes staring at me with a measure of concern.

Alright, fate? Not helping. Just so you know.

"Hey, Edward," I greeted weakly.

"Are you really feeling tired? Because if you're not, we should go to Disneyland as planned," he said casually as he leaned against the doorway...also casually.

I sighed. The 17 year old girl in me was dying to say yes, regardless of the fact that it was a pity date. "It's okay, Edward. If you don't want to go with me-," I started but he cut me off.

"Look," he said, putting on a 'let's be simple about this' tone, "I have nothing to do tonight. Alice was right; I wanted to go to Disneyland. You want to go to Disneyland, what say we save the environment and go in the same car? Besides… Alice seems to have taken off with mine."

"Ah, I see. So you're just using me to get a ride," I teased him.

He smirked. "That's what she said."

I blushed, thoughts of riding Edward immediately dominating my brain.

"Sorry," he said, smiling apologetically. "That's one of my problems. I always seem to say too much when I'm around you. I'm usually not this dirty minded."

I laughed. "Don't worry. I happen to think a dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste." Besides, whenever he was around the gutter would be a step up from where my mind went, but I didn't want to tell him that. "Besides, that works much better as a 'that's what he said', don't you think?" I winked at him and then pretended to nonchalantly return my eyes to my work. Inside I was panicking. What the fuck was it about Edward Cullen that made it impossible not to flirt with him? "I'll meet you at four," I added, still not looking at him.

He made some affirmative noise and walked away. As soon as he was out of eye-shot I banged my head on my desk for the second time that day. The man had me undone in the space of a few short sentences and a touch on the arm. Last time I had been at Disneyland with him, I'd had Emmett as a buffer, and he'd literally had to pull me off of Edward once. If I wasn't careful, I was going to end up as one of those floozies who go down on guys on the longer rides. Hello?! There are cameras and hidden cast members EVERYWHERE.

Four came way too soon and way too quick. I heard Edward's cheerful whistling before he came to the door. He was whistling "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" which, in my opinion, should be illegal in the state of California where it most certainly did not ever look like Christmas. However, he looked so g'damned hot whilst doing it that I gave him a pass. I gave myself a stern warning not to look at him too much while I was driving. If I did, I was likely to crash.

"So, thanks for coming with me," I said as we got into my car. "You really didn't have to, you know."

Edward glanced at me with a raised eyebrow. "I love Disneyland, Bella. I'd take any excuse to go." Ouch. "I mean -," he stumbled. "That didn't come out right. Being with you is hardly a chore. Quite the opposite, actually." He cleared his throat. "So what's the attack plan today? What do we absolutely have to hit?"

I thought about it. "I would like to see the Christmas tree lighting, which I think we might be just in time for, and I would like to see the Christmas fireworks in front of the castle - well, I mean as in front of the castle as possible without being there many hours in advance."

"I think we can manage that." I could tell by the sound of his voice he was smiling again. I made sure to keep my eyes on the road to adhere to my no-crashing strategy.

We parked and were on the trams before I knew it. I loved people watching at Disneyland. There were times I went just to sit in the most crowded place I could find and listen in on passing conversations. A high pitched child's voice babbled to his mother in excitement as the tram got moving.

"Your son is very eloquent for such a young child," a woman's voice commented.

"Yes," the mother, I assumed, agreed. "He speaks too well," she said wryly. "I can't get anything past him since he figured out what I was spelling."

"You'll have to start spelling in a different language I suppose," the other voice said.

Without missing a beat the little boy's voice rang out loud and clear. "Konichiwa!"

I laughed and was surprised when I heard Edward laugh too. He leaned in close to me. "That's one for Oh Had At El," he said.

"Oh what-a?" I asked, trying to ignore what it did to my body when he whispered in my ear like that. Even when he was talking nonsense it did strange things to me.

He sighed. "I'm always doing that. , Overheard at Disneyland." he clarified. He gave me a sheepish smile. "I'm always accidentally revealing my total obsession with all things Disney."

"Hello," I said, pointing at myself. "Completely obsessed with a cartoon skeleton from the 90's." Besides, I did not say, it was alarmingly adorable.

As we got off the tram, the operator came on with his usual message. "Watch your head as you step off the tram. If you don't watch your head, watch your language."

That set us off giggling again. I decided if I could listen to the sound of his laughter all night, this was going to be one of my favorite Disney trips ever.

As I suspected, we got into the park only minutes before the tree lighting. People were buzzing around it excitedly. We found a low wall to lean on at the base of the train station where we could watch and be away from the crowd.

"I miss when it was a real tree," I said wistfully.

"Not all that much to miss," Edward replied lightly. "Every inch of that thing is covered in lights or ornaments. Besides, it's easier to do the LED thing they do. This tree can put on a show. How many real trees do you think can do that?"

We watched the tree light up and do its thing, which honestly made me entirely too pleased. I mean, it was just blinking lights, technically. Right?

"You like Christmas, don't you?" Edward said, closer to ear than I had expected.

"I don't know...I like the...feel of it if that makes sense," I said, watching the lights of the trees dance. "How do I put this into words? I don't like the need to give gifts, or the cheesy Christmas miracles movies on Lifetime; things like that. But I love the prettiness, I guess." I put my hands over my eyes. "I don't know. I'm a writer but you'd never know it by hearing me speak. I have no eloquence when I speak."

Edward smiled at me; a gentle smile. "Then how about the picture worth a thousand words?" He held up his hands and made a box like you see directors do in movies. He moved his makeshift box in front of me. "You like this." His hands framed the twinkling tree and Main Street with the castle all lit up in the background. "And this." His hands moved to the side a little, perfectly framing two little girls who were standing at the base of the tree. Their faces were completely lit up with gigantic smiles and they were jumping in delight, staring up at the tree.

I smiled at him and nodded, a warmth crawling across my chest that tingled like when your foot falls asleep but without the demi-painful part. "How about sound? Christmas carols, not the songs and things that have come up in the last twenty years, but the traditional carols."

He got up suddenly and opened his hand to me. I put my hand in his without thinking about it. He pulled me to my feet. We walked a few steps before our hands dropped reluctantly. "Do you know the name of the horse in Jingle Bells?" he asked as we walked.

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused. "They never say the name of the horse."

"Sure they do," he said, smiling mischievously.

I started singing the song to myself in my head. "No. No they don't." I insisted.

"It's bobtail." He laughed as I stared at him blankly. Then he started singing. "Bells on Bobtail ring, making spirits bright, what fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight!"

"That's so bad," I laughed. But my insides felt like they were turning into some form of inconsistent mush. There was a hard, raspy quality to his voice that made me think of a lounge singer on a darkened stage with his guitar, crooning something dark and sexy. I imagined that voice singing next to my ear and I had to shake myself slightly to come back to the present.

He was making it harder for me to fight my undeniable attraction to him. He was making it nearly impossible for me to remember why I wanted to. And I did want to fight it. I had my own reasons, but also there were the not interested signals I had gotten from him. After that first, white hot meeting he had not sought me out again. We exchanged smiles of greeting when we saw each other at work, or when he delivered something to my office, but other than that we hadn't talked. Then he had been at Disneyland with Jessica...and then he'd been mortified when Alice had forced him on me.

Only he didn't look disinterested now. He kept throwing little glances at me as we walked, a smile playing on his lips like he had a secret that made him happy; like he would rather be here with me rather than anywhere else in the world.

We got Fast Passes for Space Mountain and then decided to head toward New Orleans Square for dinner, hitting up a few rides on the way. The Matterhorn was first. As usual, the line was longish but moving steadily. We chatted easily as we waited.

"So, what Mickey ears do you have?" Edward asked conversationally.

"What makes you think I have Mickey ears?" I asked him, though I was just teasing. Of course I had Mickey ears. That was a rite of passage.

"Oh, come on," he gave me a disparaging look. "I know you have Mickey ears."

"Well, if you're such a know-it-all, you should know what kind of ears I have. I don't think it's difficult to guess." I rolled my eyes at him.

He smiled back. "Of course. As if I even had to ask. Jack Skellington ears."

"Of course," I sighed at my own predictability. "What about you. What are your Mickey ears?"

Jeez, what was this, Facebook? What kind of Mickey ears are you?

"Guess," he said playfully.

I ran through the types of ears that I could remember. "Oh, oh! Rastafarian dreads ears. I know that's you!" I started laughing at the mental image of Edward with dreads and the colorful beanie.

He laughed with me. "Not quite. But my Mickey ears do have dreads."

I gawked at him. "No way. You have Captain Jack pirate ears?" I squeaked. "That's…hot."

I had a thing for Johnny Depp. I had a thing for Johnny Depp as Captain Jack. And now I had a burgeoning fantasy of Edward Cullen, in his Captain Jack pirate ears, at the foot of my bed, crawling over me with a cocky swagger.

And eye liner.

Suddenly, I felt very warm. I unzipped my jacket.

By then we had gotten to the front of the line where a Disney cast member in Lederhosen greeted us with a smile.

"Riding together?" the cast member asked.

There was the million dollar question. I glanced back at Edward feeling my cheeks warm, which was ridiculous. It's not as if I would be sitting on his lap. I'd just be sitting between his legs.

Crap.

Pressed against his chest.

Fuck.

He smiled at me. "Yes," he answered the cast member without looking back at him.

My heart soared while I quietly panicked.

He got in first, as instructed, and sat, pulling out both seat belts. I got in and perched on the edge of the seat while he buckled himself in. Then he held his arms out, one piece of the seat belt in each hand. I took a deep breath to try to still my pounding heart and then I slid backward against him.

Sweet, merciful Christ.

It was as if his body was made for me and me alone. My back lined up just right against his chest. My head automatically tucked just right against his shoulder. His scent enveloped me as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I barely heard the quiet snick of the seat belt being buckled. He tugged on the loose end and the belt tightened over me, but I felt more secure when he wrapped his arms around me again. I knew we were in a crowded, noisy theme park, but just then, it seemed like we were the only two people on earth. I had to force myself to hold on to the handlebars of the toboggan instead of winding my fingers through his.

Then the ride jerked to a start and we were climbing in the darkness. I tensed automatically.

"You alright?" he asked, his concerned voice right near my ear. I shivered with the sensation it sent through my body.

"Not a huge fan of the dark," I said apologetically.

He didn't have time to answer. As he tightened his arms around me we passed the first yeti and then we were really moving. Slightly self conscious, I tried not scream at first. Eventually though, the adrenaline of the ride got to me, especially as we dipped and I was thrown back against Edward's chest. I let out an exhilarated shriek at the combination of the thrill of the speed, the drops and the constant electricity of Edward's chest against my back; his arms around my waist.

At the bottom of the Matterhorn the ride ground, as it usually did, to a sudden stop and I was thrown back into Edward even harder than before. "Fuck!" he hissed under his breath.

Then I knew, without a doubt, that Edward was not pinky sized, adding to the list of features he did not have that might have broken the voodoo spell he had me under. He wasn't hard in a way that would make me feel dirty, but he was definitely hard enough to be defined, and if I could feel it against my back.

Jesus, it felt wrong to be as turned on as I was, considering the location. Happiest place on earth indeed.

The silence that came over us as we got off the ride and started walking toward Fantasy Land was not exactly awkward, but it was charged. We were both silent, walking close enough together that our fingers brushed occasionally.

"Bella," he said suddenly, rumpling his hair nervously. "About before…"

I blinked. It took me a minute to realize he was embarrassed about his reaction to me earlier. I smiled at him, a smile that was much more mischievous than I actually felt. I was still much more riled up than I wanted to be. "Don't worry about it. Friction. Heat. A suggestively named bobsled. It's just biology, Edward." I looked at him and winked.

He looked aghast for a moment before he started laughing. "I suppose I should have paid more attention in school."

After that, the tension in the air eased a bit. We rode the Big Thunder Railroad without incident and then happened to walk by Indiana Jones just as it reopened. That was fortuitous because Indiana Jones always had the longest wait in the park, no matter what time you got there. We didn't have to wait at all.

Apparently though, the wait wasn't long enough. The ride stalled twice in the most horrible of places. There's one part where you're in pitch black for a few moments and when the lights go on you're in a tunnel full of "bugs". Of course, the ride stalled while it was pitch black. With the revving noise of the jeep on repeat it was even spookier. I cringed against Edward's chest instinctively and he put his arm around me. His scent and his arms helped me fight the irrational panic.

The ride stalled again when we were under the infamous big rock. Edward was excited. He kept craning his neck to see how the thing worked. I would have found this utterly precious except that I was too busy being terrified. I blamed Emmett. Emmett's favorite game to play in Disneyland was "What would it be like to be here when an earthquake struck?" Let me tell you...under the rock that looked like it was just inches away from crushing us, combined with the trembling jeep and the feeling that we were deep underground (even though I knew we weren't) was not a good place to be thinking about earthquakes.

As soon as he noticed I was so tense he put his arm around me again and held me tightly against him. He looked like he was about to say something but at that moment the ride jerked, starting again.

I reflected that, at least this trip, it was Disney throwing me into Edward's arms instead of me ending up there by virtue of my clumsiness alone.

"Sorry about that," I said to Edward as we walked back out of the ride. "I'm not usually such a wuss."

"Don't worry about it," he returned easily. "Adrenaline. The suggestion of fear. General creepiness. And Indiana Jones nowhere in sight to save you? It's just psychology, Bella." He winked at me and I snickered.

"I took journalism as my elective, Edward."

It was getting late so we opted to do dinner then: Skewers at the Bengal Barbecue. Yum.

"This is going to sound rude," I prefaced as I picked the meat off my skewer. Edward raised an eyebrow and waited. "You're obviously really smart, Edward," I searched for a tactful way to ask this. "How did you end up doing what you're doing at work?"

He appeared to be very interested in his vegetable skewer, picking a gigantic zucchini off of the end. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. "Never mind. I didn't mean to pry," I said quickly.

He looked up at me and smiled. "I'm a little embarrassed, but not because you asked. I mean, I'm 22 years old and I'm a mail boy. It sounds...kind of pathetic when you say it out loud."

"There's nothing wrong with it," I assured him. "It's just that it doesn't seem to be all you're capable of."

He chuckled a little wryly. "The long and short of it is that I spent a good deal of my formative years dealing with ... a trauma. I don't know that I ever knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. Then I grew up and I turned 18. Getting a job seemed like the right thing to do. So I did it. I moved out of my parents' house and into an apartment with Alice, and I've just been...riding the employment market until I figure out what I want to do with my life."

I was more than a little curious about this trauma he spoke of but if he wasn't going to talk about it willingly, I'd be damned if I would ask him just what the fuck could erase your childhood at the happiest place on earth.

Anyway he didn't give me the chance. He cleared his throat and he turned the spotlight on me. "Anyway, what about you? You seem like you want to be more than just a content writer."

I was more than a little surprised that he had picked up on that given what little contact we'd had. "I want to write fiction. I'm working on a book but... well, my muse has deserted me, and I had bills to pay," I explained simply.

"Hmm," he seemed to be thinking carefully about something as he chewed. I tried not to be mesmerized about the way his lips wrapped around the mushroom he had worked to the top of the skewer. "Would you consider letting me read it?"

That snapped me back to reality. "What?"

"I'm curious as to how that mind of yours really works. If you'll permit me a glimpse, I'm pretty good at constructive criticism, I could give you feedback," he offered.

I was taken aback, both at the fact that he had spent any amount of time trying to figure me out and that he seemed genuinely eager to read my story.

"I'll think about it," I said, a little shy.

There was still time before the fireworks show, so we decided to do Space Mountain since our fast passes were up. As we walked we seemed to be gravitating closer and closer together without even realizing it. Our shoulders were touching much of the time. Oddly, I felt comfortable.

I loved Space Mountain but the ride always left me dizzy. As we exited the ride, Edward had to grab me around the waist to keep me from stumbling. He didn't remove his arm when I was steady again and I didn't shrug away. Again, it was oddly comfortable. I tried to hurry us past the pictures, but Edward steered us over to the line. I had to admit we looked good together. I felt a pang in my heart as I looked at us, side by side, leaning into each other, smiling and obviously happy.

Ah, pictures could be so deceiving. Edward took a picture of the picture using the camera on his cell phone.

As we got out, it occurred to me that Edward was brooding. "What's wrong?"

He shrugged, but I wasn't about to let him off that easily. It surprised me how much his frown bothered me. "Edward, come on, tell me what's wrong."

He sounded disgruntled. "It's just...not the same without Bob."

It took me a minute to realize that he was talking about the LED monster that had been added into Space Mountain for Halloween. I gaped at him. "Bob the crappy special effect of fire alien? Are you kidding me?"

"The soundtrack is different too," he mumbled.

I decided to ignore him, more than a little entertained at his ridiculous nitpicking. There was still a little time before we had to get going to catch the fireworks show. "Come on. Let's go to Tomorrowland Terrace. They have an excellent 80's cover band on Fridays."

He rolled his eyes, amused. "Nothing says land of the future like an 80's cover band."

"You are killing my buzz Edward," I smacked his shoulder playfully.

"Well, we can't have that. To Tomorrowland Terrace it is," he grinned at me.

We found a table where we could watch the dancers because that's what I wanted to do - watch. We sat with our heads close together narrating the scene or pointing out funny dance moves.

"Tell me that doesn't turn you on," Edward teased, surreptitiously pointing to a girl. I looked to see that this girl was wearing a shirt with skeleton hands. The hands were placed right over her breasts so it looked like they were cupping them. "I bet she has a thing for Jack Skellington too."

A short time later we made our way to the crowded Disney circle in front of the castle. We found a place with a decent enough view and soon enough the lights dimmed and the show started.

As it had been every year for the past 9 years, the show was... well, magical. Music played all the traditional carols of youth while the lights lit up the sky. I had to hand it to them; Disney knew a thing or two about putting on a show. The fireworks were perfectly synchronized with the music, from the playful "All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" when huge, colorful smiley faces popped into the sky, to the softer tones of "Silent Night" where gentle blue and white fireworks streamed down like stars and rain. It was designed to make sentimental biddy's like me get teary-eyed. It worked, like it always had.

The chorus sung about remembering the magic in our lives. Then it was snowing on Main Street. Disney was the master of emotional fuckery. Snow fell gently, the flakes dancing in the air while a soft, beautiful voice crooned "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas." Giggling kids jumped at their parent's sides, their little hands grasping at the flakes the filled the air. Edward, like most everyone else, was looking up; a huge, happy grin on his face. Flakes were catching in his wild hair, and on his eyebrows. It was an overwhelming feeling - like all the hundreds of people, adults and children alike were on the same page; caught up in the same emotion. Cheesy as the moment was, I felt like I was surrounded by too much beauty and my body could not contain the feeling. My heartfelt full to the point of aching, and my eyes were teary.

I felt Edward's fingers brush mine. I didn't hesitate. I threaded my fingers through his, squeezing his hand tightly. He looked down at me, his smile still blindingly big and his eyes full of an intensity that made my breath catch in my throat. His free hand rose, cupping my cheek gently. He whispered my name so softly it was no more than a breath. It was one of those moments that Lifetime Network movies are made of. One of those perfect moments that you never know exist until they happen to you. His head tilted and he leaned down.

And then I felt a weight slam into me from about the level of my waist, knocking me away from Edward and his full, tempting lips.

Disneyland became the not-so-magical place the Disney haters always talked about. Suddenly, the hundreds of people that had been so in sync only seconds before were suddenly moving in different directions all at once. There was pushing, shoving, and diabolical strollers that always seemed to be a hairsbreadth away from running into my ankles.

Edward wrapped his arm around my waist again and I leaned into him, not wanting to get separated. We joined the throng of people trying to get out of the park. The park was still open for another two hours, but a surreal atmosphere had settled over us both, and I know I felt like I wanted to be somewhere quieter. I needed to think instead of feel.

Feeling was dangerous.

I was surprised at how tired I was. We had, I supposed, been walking around for five hours straight. When we boarded the tram he put his arm over the backseat, giving me a look that beckoned me to lie against his chest or his shoulder again. I scooted close to him, but not against him, the real world beginning to leak through the private bubble we seemed to have retreated into. I saw the brief flicker of disappointment on Edward's face when I didn't curl against him. He opened his mouth, but right then the tram operator started talking again.

It was the same tram operator from the last time. It had to be. He started singing Christmas Carols, modified for our listening pleasure. "Oh Christmas tree: Oh Christmas tram, oh Christmas tram. How lovely are your benches. I didn't know I'd walk so far. I wish I was already at my car. Oh Christmas tram, oh Christmas tram, I'm so happy you have benches." Edward and I laughed together along with the rest of the weary tram passengers.

He sang at least five songs before we finally pulled up to the parking structure, each making us all chuckle and making our night just a little brighter. Ah, the magic of Disneyland. It allowed me a brief respite from my tumultuous thoughts.

We got off the tram and headed up the escalators, walking all the way to the car in relative silence. The mood was beginning to get heavy. I knew he wanted to say something, but, like me, he wasn't sure how. I turned away to go to my side of the car but then I felt his hand slip into mine, holding me and tugging me back to face him. He whispered my name and there was such a tender emotion in his voice that I couldn't look up at first. I was afraid that if I looked up I'd only be in deeper.

Then, I did look up and I was enveloped in him. The noise of the other people in the parking structure; of the traffic in the distance, all of it faded away. I saw nothing else but his emerald eyes. They captured me, and inundated my mind with images and potentialities I had been fighting since the moment I laid eyes on his chaotic hair.

And it wasn't just the erotic fantasies that my mind indulged in now. Suddenly I wanted it all. I wanted more moments like we'd had this afternoon. The way he'd captured my feelings about Christmas in the palms of his hands. His arms around me, holding me secure and protecting me against the dark, even when we both knew it wasn't going to hurt me. The giggling and the teasing that were so easy for us. I wanted it all and I wanted him. His beautiful mind. His bright spirit. His heart. I wanted to own him, not like property, but like a second skin, lining and mirroring my body and my soul.

His free hand raised and he ran the pads of his fingers down my cheek. I would swear that his fingers left trails of fire on my skin, though he was very gentle. He was barely touching me at all. "Tell me I'm not crazy," he murmured. "Tell me that you feel this."

Though it felt literally painful I forced myself to close my eyes, trying to sever this connection between us. "I feel it," I confirmed.

"But you're fighting it." I nodded. "Why?" he asked, his hand cupping my cheek.

How to explain this? The bottom line was that it made sense to me. It was a decision I had come to after literally years of philosophizing to myself and even I didn't really remember the logical path that had brought me to my choice. These feelings that were suddenly raging and churning inside of me were making it all the more complicated.

But there in was the crux of the matter.

Leaning my face into his hand, I started to speak without opening my eyes. "This isn't real, Edward. This thing between us doesn't actually exist. It's a combination of hormones and pheromones and tiny moments of compatibility. I think that we, I mean people, have gotten to a point where this," I gestured between us, "is mistaken for reality. We waste years of our lives pining, or fighting, all because we let these types of emotion blind us."

I took a deep breath, and bit my lip, watching him anxiously. He blinked several times. "That's... not what I was expecting," he said, still a little shocked.

I sighed and stepped away from him. "Get in," I said tiredly. "I'll try to explain better."

He got in and I started talking. I talked about my mother and father; how they got married too young, had me too young. My mother spent much of my youth trying to relive hers. My father spent most of my life nursing a broken heart.

I talked about Emmett's first girlfriend, Tanya. How she'd lead him down a path of drugs and alcohol. How he'd come this close to fucking up his life forever. He was one of the lucky ones and I knew it.

I talked about Rosalie and her first boyfriend and abusive relationships.

I talked about how everywhere I looked there seemed to be this need to be in love that overshadowed everything. There was this pressure to be in a relationship. To settle down. To commit. For what? I'd heard too many stories of lives being completely destroyed all in the wake of love. Men and women who spent years of their lives and their hard earned money on alimony and child support. Jilted lovers who commit suicide. People who stay in relationships even when their spouses or significant others keep making life decisions that drag them down.

I understood all the good stuff, really I did. But, like anything in life, I had a choice to make. I had made the choice long ago to never be ruled by my emotions, no matter how strong or intense they got. I made the choice to be alone because I believed that there was so much more to life than love. I believed, when it came down to it, that love was an overbearing attention whore, and I didn't want to put up with that shit, no matter how good it was.

I had never been so tempted before in all my life.

"What about a family. Don't you want a family?" Edward asked when I was done with my rant. His eyes were a little sad, but he wasn't calling me insane. Yet.

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. Right now? No, I've never had any...longing for kids or any of that. I mean, that's one of the other things. Everyone is always all about the commitment, but we all change. We grow. We evolve. I am not the same person I was 4 years ago, for instance. What if someone had fallen in love with me four years ago...and committed to me. How is it fair that they would be stuck with this totally different person I became?" I shook my head. "I'm getting off subject again. Bottom line is...if I get to that bridge, I will cross it then."

He only hesitated a moment before asking his next question. "And sex?"

"When I find someone I connect with and who understands that it's ... for lack of a better term, recreational, I have sex. But only if it's alright. You know, if there are no ... heavy emotions attached." Now it was my turn to hesitate. After the mixed signals I had inadvertently started to throw, I owed him this admission, so I blurted it out. "I couldn't do that with you, for instance, because I would want more."

I didn't look at him and he didn't answer right away. "And you don't want to want more." It wasn't a question.

"Exactly." I looked out the window of the car feeling like a complete jerk.

Luckily, by that time, we had gotten to his apartment. My stomach was twisting into knots. I pulled the car up to his walkway and turned off the engine, closing my eyes. He didn't get out of the car immediately and I dared to let myself hope.

"So are we friends then?" I asked, my eyes still closed, waiting for the quick and final no that felt like it would destroy me. I knew I was addicted, and I knew this was exactly what I had been trying to avoid. I didn't want to need him, and logically I knew that I didn't need him, but that's not what it felt like.

"Friends," he mused. He said the word like he was trying some new food and he wasn't sure he liked the flavor. "We can try, I suppose," he said finally, his voice teasing but also slightly sad.

I let out the breath I had been holding. I opened my eyes and looked over at him. I was surprised by how sad I was. I felt the tiniest pangs of heartbreak as I looked at him. I knew there was longing in my eyes. I could see it reflected back in his. "Thank you, Edward," I finally said. It didn't feel like enough.

He smiled and he was still beautiful. "I'll see you on Monday," he said softly. He got out of the car and walked to his doorway without looking back.

I drove away, but as soon as I was out of eye shot of his apartment I had to pull over and cry.

**A/N: And this is the part where everybody starts cursing my black heart. LOL**

**What are your Disney ears?**


	4. Jack and Sally's Song

**Disclaimer: These beautiful creatures belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

**"And sit together, now and forever  
for it is plain, as anyone can see,  
We're simply meant to be,"  
**-Jack and Sally's Song, The Nightmare Before Christmas

**December 1**

**EPOV **

Being friends with Bella Swan was like Chinese water torture. I could see her, and smell her. She was always right there, constantly making me adore her, but I couldn't touch. I couldn't feel. I wasn't allowed to tell her how much I wanted her. It wasn't just sexual attraction, though I had plenty of moments when I felt if I couldn't be inside of her soon, I would surely go insane. No, mostly I wanted to pull her into my arms and tell her how I was in complete awe of her.

Instead of being able to figure out her mind even as I began to learn her body, I was stuck just watching and learning. It was purgatory. Not hell because I could still laugh with her and talk to her, but far too painful to be heaven since I could not allow myself to love her.

I had spent that first weekend wallowing at my parent's house. Alice didn't come home that night, though she had sent me a text that simply read - _oh. my. fucking. god_. I supposed that meant that things with Jasper were going well. I had let myself into the house I grew up in with my key and was asleep in my old bed when my mother found me the next morning. Being around Esme and Carlisle, I couldn't imagine anyone not wanting what they had. They were affectionate and teasing, even through so many years of marriage. They had seen their share of heartbreak, not the least of which was caring for two traumatized children, but they had always supported each other - been each others anchors and support.

I understood Bella's mindset, I really did. She wasn't rejecting me. She was rejecting a chance at that life because she knew it wasn't necessary. She could live a long and fulfilling life without a romantic relationship. Romantic relationships took time, effort and often came with a great deal of drama for not enough pay-off. It was like anything else in life - you might feel you would be happy in a career as an actor but decide to go into teaching instead when you considered the starving artist period and the potential you would end up with paparazzi invading your every private moment. My logical, philosophical mind understood it, but my heart was having a hard time coming around. Especially when everything she said and did fascinated me, intrigued me, and made me feel so lucky that I knew. I imagined the hundreds of people who passed by her everyday and never knew, never understood how amazing she truly was.

As she had promised, Bella e-mailed me a link to a Google document that contained her unfinished manuscript. It had been in my inbox since early Saturday morning, so I started reading it right away when I got home on Sunday evening. Her writing was incredible. It was witty and deep, with a true sense of character that I found lacking in even some of the best works of fiction. As brilliant as the writing was, nothing is without room for improvement. I could see where she had gotten sidetracked or, as she put it, lost her muse.

We started to hang out frequently after work, discussing her writing or enjoying Disneyland, though we stayed away from the Matterhorn I noticed. I still hadn't resigned myself to the fact that we were only destined to be friends so my heart still ached for her, but our friendship was easy. It was good.

It was Tuesday, the first of December, when it started happening.

I went to Bella's office like I usually did, despite the fact that she had no mail. I paused in the doorway, taken aback when I found Bella glaring at something on her desk. If looks could kill, the thing would be a pile of ash a thousand times over. I followed her eyes to what sat on her desk.

It was a stuffed polar bear. A very little, stuffed polar bear. Its arms held a gift card of some sort. I had to laugh.

"Let me guess, you have something against bears? Is this a Stephen Colbert thing?" I teased her.

Her head snapped up and the tension left her face. She smiled at me. I reflexively pushed back the warm, tingly feelings her smile and her obvious happiness at seeing me brought. "'Are you aware that bears are Godless killing machines?'" she quipped back, putting on a serious face.

"I hate to break it to you Bella, but Jack Skellington was already dead. That's why he's a skeleton," I smirked at her and she smiled again. "Where did you get this offensive creature?"

She sighed and sat back in her chair. "I don't know! That's part of the problem. This was on my desk when I got here this morning."

She turned the gift to face me. The bear was a cute little thing and it held a Starbucks gift card. "Secret admirer Santa, huh?" I said, ignoring the absurd jealousy and possessiveness that welled in me. "Well, at least it brought the gift of Starcrack."

She stared back at the bear disinterestedly. "You know, I've never been in Starbucks."

"How do you manage that?" I was a little doubtful. How was that even possible? "I mean, I know you don't drink coffee, but..."

"I don't even like the smell of coffee....why would I go in a coffee shop? Let alone a coffee shop that feels the need to put three shops within two city blocks of each other. That's more than a little ridiculous." She crossed her arms, looking aloof.

Of course. Bella seemed to be against most socially accepted norms - her love of Disneyland being an exception it appeared. I rolled my eyes. I reached out and grabbed the card from the bear's grubby little paws. "My, my. Come along Princess Jasmine. It'll be your first trip to the marketplace. We must introduce you to the fattening bliss that is Starbucks Blended Crème Frappuccinos."

**December 4th **

It was Friday. Bella was coming over the next for Rockband with the whole gang. Even Emmett's Rosalie would be in attendance. I should have been happy. Instead, I was brooding.

That's how Alice found me Friday night as she got ready for yet another date with Jasper. I was at the kitchen table with my head resting on my arms, staring out into space. I heard the click, click of her heels in the hallway, but I couldn't bring myself to care, even knowing she would give me shit for my current state of wallowing.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, what the fuck?" she said.

I groaned, rethinking the not caring at the grating sound of her scolding voice. "Jasper is waiting for you, Alice. Have a nice night."

Usually, any mention of Jasper's name put a dreamy, faraway look on Alice's face and she either started gushing about him or wandered away on a cloud. I had used it to diffuse several arguments over what she thought I should be doing to change Bella's mind.

This time, it wasn't working. "He's picking me up so you have until he gets here to tell me what's wrong with you," she said, sitting across from me at the table. "And don't give me this don't want to talk about it crap. If you didn't want to talk about it, you wouldn't be going all sad-sack on the kitchen table. You'd be in your bed with the covers over your head watching the Hallmark channel with that pint of Ben and Jerry's that's in the freezer."

I glared at her. "It's ridiculous." Of course, I buckled. I told her about the little gifts that had been arriving on Bella's desk. Starbucks and a stuffed bear on Tuesday, a pair of brightly colored candy canes on Wednesday. Yesterday there had been a break but today Bella's secret admirer had pulled out the big guns. I had come by Bella's office to find her staring at a bouquet of various red flowers. "I mean, Bella is not the type of girl who would like something as ...cliché as flowers," I groused to Alice.

"So why don't you give her things that would be more suitable? Woo the girl, Edward. Every girl loves to be wooed." She spoke with her usual air of innocence though she knew damn well what my answer was going to be. We'd had this discussion frequently since that weekend.

"She doesn't want to be wooed, Alice. I'm going to respect her wishes," I said tiredly. She glared at me, but I stopped her before she could start. "Come on Alice, cut it out. You know she has a right to what she wants in life, even if you don't agree with it."

Alice took a deep breath. Her eyes didn't leave me, but they became softer, more serious and sympathetic. "Edward, I love you. You know I love you, but you just can't let her slip through your fingers. You haven't worked for anything your entire life. I'm not blaming you, because you've really never had anything to work for, and obviously I know that your life has been harder than it needed to be as it is. But you want this. I can see it in your eyes how much you want this. Work for it."

"Alice-," I started.

"No. You two deserve every shot. Not just for you, Twin. Although, I have to tell you, seeing you with some sort of passion in your eyes - something that makes you come alive - it's been great. I don't want to see that light she brings you die. But it's also good for her."

"What are you talking about?"

She pursed her lips and looked at me contemplatively, debating whether or not to tell me the next bit. "She's writing again. Jasper told me. You know that manuscript she showed you? It's been dormant for 3 years, and she's writing again. You made that happen, Edward."

I was silent as I considered this. Of course, it made me deliriously happy that she was writing again. She was talented and I believed she could do what she wanted to do, ultimately. I also knew what Alice was saying. Like Carlisle and Esme had benefited each others lives, I could be there for Bella. I wanted to be there. I wanted the ups and the downs. I wanted to be her constant.

A car pulled up outside and honked. Alice looked over her shoulder and then back at me. She reached out and clasped my hand comfortingly. "She just...needs to see that two people working together through life can be good. A relationship doesn't have to be a weight, or a hindrance. Ideally, it can be a buoy."

Then she was gone and I was brooding again. By the end of the night I had convinced myself I was right not to pursue Bella, but then Rockband night came and went. Bella and I fell asleep on the couch in a state of drunkenness. Waking up to her head on my shoulder, my plan to not pursue her went straight out the window.

At the very least, she deserved better than mundane flowers. Right?

**December 7 **

**BPOV **

Another day at work and another day I was daydreaming about Edward.

It was easier, now that we knew how we felt about each other. And it was harder.

It was easier because I no longer felt so absurd for not being able to let go of an attraction that had been, I thought, one sided. It was better for my self esteem anyway. It was so much worse because every single time I wanted to kiss him or touch him, I could. He would let me. It wouldn't be awkward.

It had happened a million times that weekend, when I went to his house to play Rockband. The whole thing had started when it came up in conversation that Edward and Alice had never played Rockband. Emmett had insisted they be exposed to it and had all but invited us all over to their apartment.

Edward had been an utter disaster on both guitar and drums. Watching his absolutely befuddled expression as he tried to press buttons and strum in time with what was on the screen was just priceless. I had giggled and stopped myself multiple times from pulling his face to mine to kiss his cheek out of simple adoration. He was stubborn, but after he failed the band out of three different venues and Emmett threatened to kick his ass, Edward had finally thrown in the towel.

"I can play a real guitar just fine," he had muttered, looking cross.

Then Alice had relinquished the microphone and Edward had started singing. "You Oughta Know" in his textured, bluesy tenor was enthralling to say the least. My jaw dropped and I missed several chords of my base playing before I could jump back in again. I nearly threw down the guitar and jumped him when he sang "Everlong". The booze as flowing and, one by one, the others dropped out, but Edward and I kept on going. He liked singing with me and I liked playing with him.

Exhausted, we had eventually collapsed on the couch, half slumped against each other. We continued to giggle as we played with our characters - Edward pimping out Alice's avatar in Goth clothing and me opting for a rock get up. We must have drifted off because I woke up at some point during the night. The TV screen was glowing blue, tossing an unnatural pallor over Edward's sleeping face. I was curled against him. One of his arms was around me while the other rested over my hand. Half asleep and more than a little drunk, I'd kissed his lips as if we were already lovers; as if it was the most natural thing in the world for me to do. It wasn't a deep kiss, it was a familiar kiss. I remembered doing it, and I remembered going back to sleep, more content than I had felt in a long time.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. "Flower delivery," came a cheerful voice. Jessica.

I groaned. "Not," I looked up as I spoke and my mouth dropped open, "again," I finished in a squeak.

Rather than the bouquet of flowers I had been expecting, like the ones I had received last week, these flowers were made of fruit. Pineapple daisies, red strawberry roses and baby's breath made of grapes with the occasional melon slice thrown in to look like random leafs. "Edible Arrangements!" Jessica said, setting the huge bouquet down on my desk. "I've always wanted one of these. Someone must like you."

"You don't know who these are from?" I asked, still staring at the arrangement with wide eyes.

Jessica shook her head. "Delivery guy said it was from Secret Santa."

Hmm, the same moniker that the Starbucks card had been signed from. I handed Jessica a pineapple daisy and she took off. I took one of the grape skewers and began to chew, contemplating who these gifts could possibly be from. Perhaps my phantom pranker? The pranks had all but stopped at some point in November. Occasionally, I still came into my office to find something out of place or rearranged.

I was still deep in contemplation, staring at the edible flowers, when I heard his all too familiar voice. "That's some lunch you brought there," he chuckled.

"Har," I responded, rolling my eyes at him fondly.

"From your Secret Admirer Santa, I suppose?" Edward guessed.

"So it would seem," I replied easily, squashing a wistful thought that perhaps he was my secret admirer. It wasn't a secret if it was already told. "They're more useful flowers though, don't you think? At least I won't go hungry today."

"A rose, by any other name, would smell as sweet," he answered with mock solemnity.

I scoffed and tried to not be turned on by the thought of Edward uttering some of Shakespeare's sexier lines.

"I thought all girls liked guys who went around reciting Shakespeare," he teased. Despite the fact that we were trying the whole just friend's thing, we still flirted. It had always been in our dynamic and it was just the way we worked.

"Context is everything, Cullen," I admonished. "Besides, you're not reciting anything. It was one line. I'm not impressed. Now do you want one of these or not?"

He rolled his eyes, muttering something about me being difficult. "I'll take a strawberry."

"There are strawberries on the roses and the daisies. Which do you want?" He pointed to the rose and I handed it to him. "You could have just said the rose."

"A rose, by any other name, would taste as sweet," he said, biting into the strawberry. He winked at me, and then waggled his eyebrows comically at his bad joke. Before I could stutter a response - what with the witty comeback and the way his lips wrapped around that strawberry - he had turned around and left.

Edward Cullen needed his own word of the day calendar. Today, his word would have been beguiling. I was definitely beguiled.

**December 9**

**EPOV **

"I've had enough of your passive aggressive bullshit, Edward," Alice said out of the blue one evening.

I had been lying on the couch, napping, with my arm over my eyes. I raised my arm to stare at my sister. She was standing across the room with her hands on her hips and her lips pursed. "I'm sorry, I missed the part where I knew what you were talking about," I mumbled, confused.

"I assume the journal is for Bella?" Alice asked, gesturing behind her. There was a journal on the staircase so I wouldn't forget it - not that that was likely. I was always thinking of Bella as it was.

Instead of answering, I pulled my arm over my head again. That was enough of a yes for Alice. "What's the significance?"

"He got her a CD of Christmas loves songs," I said disdainfully. "Even if she hadn't told me, I would have known enough about Bella to know that she was a fan of the classics. The only halfway decent carol on there was "It's Cold Outside" and even that is only halfway decent if it's being sung by Zooey Deschanel, which, by the way, it wasn't."

Alice fetched the journal from the staircase and turned it over in her hands. It was from a Paper Blanks journal series called Embellished Manuscripts that took some of the works of great artists, in their own handwriting in the author's cases, and put them on the cover of beautifully embossed journal. "She likes classics. That explains the book you chose. Jane Eyre?"

I smiled in spite of myself. "I get the feeling she's a fan of the sisters Bronte."

"And she's a writer. Hence the journal," Alice mused. "This is a very well thought out gift, Edward. It's...poignant."

"That's the idea, isn't it?" I said, confused as to what she had been irritated about.

"This is instant aphrodisiac stuff, Twin," she said in a voice that indicated I should be getting it by now.

I paused, reviewing her words in my head. "That's the idea, isn't it?"

"Hey, knucklehead. You're in competition here, remember? What if your gifts get her to fall in love with the wrong person?"

That made me shoot straight up on the couch. "You think someone would do that? Take credit for my gifts? That's...not...nice."

Alice rolled her eyes at me. I considered, not for the first time, who my competition could be. If it was Tyler Crowley, he would definitely not be above claiming he'd sent my gifts. "What do I do?" I asked Alice, a little out of my depth.

"You could tell her," Alice suggested mildly.

"No, that doesn't sound right."

She rolled her eyes again. "And they tell me you're a genius... Find out who it is."

She made it sound so easy.

**December 11th  
BPOV**

I was confused.

A beer bottle plopped down on the table in front of my face making me jump.

"Hey, Wendy. You're off in never, never land. What's up?" Emmett asked.

I was in his apartment, having been invited over for Star Trek viewage. Chris Pine was hot. Unfortunately, he could not hold my interest tonight. I looked over at the TV and noticed that it was paused mid-Kirk-gets-his-ass-handed-to-him beat down #42. I glanced up at Emmett and sighed. Then I proceeded to tell him and Rosalie the story of the bizarre parade of gifts I'd been receiving.

"It's just the weirdest thing. I mean, at first, I thought that it was ... cheesy. Flattering, but cheesy. The gift card...then the flowers. But then the Edible Arrangement was great. Creative and tasty. Then I get this severely crappy CD of even crappier Christmas music. Christmas love songs. I didn't even know there were enough Christmas love songs to fill a CD. There should not be."

"Right," Emmett interrupted. "Because Jesus is the reason for the season. Ya heard?"

I glared at him and he put his hands up in surrender. When I was sure he was going to shut up, I continued. "Then I get this...truly phenomenal gift yesterday. A journal. Like - a journal that was made with me in mind, you would swear. And then today... chocolates. I am...confused."

Rosalie and Emmett were staring at me. I rubbed my forehead self-consciously, wondering if I had grown a third eye or something.

"So, someone is pursuing you...someone who has semi-reasonably good taste? And ... what are you confused about?" Rosalie asked.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "It's just inconsistent, that's all."

"Well, do you know who they're from?" Rosalie persisted.

"No," I mumbled. I knew who I half-hoped, half-feared they were from. "Anyway, it doesn't matter much. If he-,"

"Or she," Emmett interrupted. I glared at him again. "What? It's possible. That chick Leah who works in the office next to yours has the biggest crush on you. It's obvious."

"Emmett, Leah can't stand me," I said, somewhat incredulous.

"Come on Belle. She's just acting out because she can't have you," he waggled his eyebrows at me.

I rolled my eyes. "_Anyway_ - it doesn't matter much. If he shows himself, I'll deal with it then. If not... it's harmless enough. I mean, I'm not big on gifts as it is."

"By deal with it...you mean let the guy down gently, right?" Rosalie said with that hint of condescension I loved so much in her voice. I had to struggle not to narrow my eyes at her. If she was going to start in on one of her ridiculous holding out for Emmett paranoid prodding sessions....

"It's not like there's anyone at the office that would be a great option, Rose," I said as smoothly as I was able. "There's no one I'm even remotely interested in."

Now it was Emmett's turn to sound condescending. "Oh, really? No one? Not even just a little bit?"

I crossed my arms and refused to look at him.

To my surprise, he sighed. "Bella, can I ask you a question?"

I had a feeling I wasn't going to like where this was going. "I've never been able to stop you before," I mumbled.

Emmett looked like he was struggling. Usually he didn't think about his words before they left his mouth. The fact that he was trying to be tactful was telling to say the least. "Your whole 'better off alone' thing? I get it. I really do. And there's nothing wrong with being alone. But wasn't the point of this thing to escape being miserable?

"Among other things," I admitted.

"Cinderbella, you do realize you're miserable _now,_ right?" he asked.

I looked away again, concentrating on the screen; trying to remember how weird it was that Chris Pine looked so good when he was being choked to death by Sylar-Spock. I was in serious denial about the whole brooding thing I had been doing for almost a month now. Suffice to say that being friends with Edward Cullen was ... difficult. I had hoped I was keeping it from my best friends but apparently this was not the case.

Emmett sighed again as I studiously ignored him.

"Again, I get what you're trying to do. God knows I wasted a good amount of my life crying 'Jane get me off this crazy thing called love!' You know that. But also, look at what love brought me." I looked over to find he was not looking at me at all, but staring into Rosalie's eyes. "Even in the practical sense - I wouldn't have been able to handle working full time and going to school if it weren't for Rose. That part of my life would have been put off even more. She helped me because she loves me - and I'm a better man for her loving me."

"Emmett," I started, but he turned to me, cutting me off.

"Seriously, Bella. You're more than strong enough to do it all on your own. I don't doubt that. But think about what that means, in the long run, without someone to share it with."

"He's right, Bella," Rosalie chimed in. For once she looked completely sincere as she looked at me. "When Emmett graduated last year, it was such an accomplishment for him. And, more than that, it was an accomplishment for us. It was amazingly gratifying for the both of us. Not that it means nothing to accomplish something on your own, but when you're part of a pair - it's just another layer. It's...good."

Bella grumbled in frustration. "Alright. You guys are acting like I'm giving up my soul mate by not caring who these gifts are from. I mean, come on. Just because someone sends me a cheesy box of chocolates doesn't mean they're going to be by my side through my life."

"Just be open to it. That's all. If something comes along that could be right - you're a smart girl Bella. You have a good sense of character. You don't have to make the mistakes that you've seen your friends or your parents make." Emmett reached over and mussed my hair. "For what it's worth Belle - that Cullen kid is completely smitten with you, you know."

I tried to imagine that it was Edward sending the gifts and my heart seemed to get larger in my chest. But I just couldn't imagine him sending the Christmas CD. Unless it was a joke.

I needed to not over-think these things. Edward said he would respect my wishes and I wanted him to respect my wishes.

Right?

**December 14th**

Curiosity was getting the better of me.

I'd come into work that morning to find a pink bakery box on my desk. The pink label said it was from Canter's, a very famous Jewish Deli, Bakery and Restaurant on Fairfax in Los Angeles. I'd opened the box to find n entire pound of the most delicious cookies I'd ever tasted. They were called Florentines, and they completely made up for the box of chocolates.

I would be lying if I didn't admit that my heart gave a remorseful pang when I realized that it really couldn't be Edward who was leaving the gifts. He had been with Alice and Jasper yesterday and with me on Saturday. He had definitely not been near Los Angeles.

Alice and Jasper could have retrieved them. They were in Los Angeles on Saturday. my over-active imagination supplied helpfully. I pushed the thought away. The plot was getting just a little too intricate. Occam's Razor. The easiest explanation was, most likely, the right one.

"Well, I'll give him this much," Edward said as he popped the cookie I proffered into his mouth. "He has great taste in cookies. No one has so much as hinted that they could be the culprit?"

I shook my head. I'd had conversations with both Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley since the gifts had begun arriving. Mike had been mildly nervous and a little on the dork side, but that was Mike. Tyler had been a pompous ass who was full of himself...but that was Tyler.

My brain tried to talk my overactive imagination out of it, but I couldn't help but prod Jasper about my sneaking suspicions when he came over later that night.

"So, what did you guys do for dinner on Saturday?"

"I took Alice to see Thai Elvis. Man that guy rocks," Jasper chuckled to himself. There was a Thai restaurant in Los Angeles where the food was fantastic but the best part was that there was a Thai Elvis impersonator who performed there.

It was not near Canter's.

"Mmm." I mumbled and changed the subject before he could ask why I was asking. "How are things with you and Alice?"

Jasper didn't answer right away, and when he did he had this weird, far-away look in his eye. "She's... I don't know. I'm just crazy about her. I'm going to marry her."

I gaped at him. "Are you being serious right now, Mushu? Marriage? That makes no sense. You've known her for a month!"

"You're right, it doesn't make sense. But nothing has ever felt more right." He sounded so sure.

I was baffled. Jasper was generally so ambivalent when it came to the dating scene...when had he turned into a romantic? "But how do you know? That it will continue to be right, I mean."

"Well, I don't, Hellz Bellz. But I'll be damned if I'm going to say no to something just because it doesn't add up. I mean, I never was any good at math, anyway." He gave a weird, giddy kind of laugh.

"It just...doesn't make sense," I repeated, still a little stunned.

"Bella - if you think about it too hard, nothing makes sense," Jasper said, leaning back and putting his hands over his head thoughtfully. "I mean - what do you want to do with your life? You want to write about people who don't exist, put them through trials and tribulations that you yourself probably haven't experienced firsthand, and you expect people to pay you to do this."

I opened my mouth to argue but I couldn't. It did sound ridiculous when he put it like that.

**December 16th  
EPOV**

We were walking back to the office from lunch, the conversation between us easy, as usual. I could talk to Bella for hours about everything.

"I'm mad at Alice, by the way," Bella said suddenly.

"Why is that?"

"Jasper brought her over to Emmett's last week and she started talking about how you took her to the company Christmas party last year. She made the mistake of mentioning the spread of food they lay out. Now he says I have to go, so he can go." Bella sighed with mock heaviness.

I whistled thinking of the damage Emmett could cause to the buffet, not to mention the chocolate fondue bar.

We had reached tour floor by then and as we walked through the front doors of the office, we were greeted by an odd sight.

Jessica and Mike were at the front desk grinning like idiots and cooing over something small and brown…with a wagging tail. And a big, red bow around its neck.

"Who's this?" Bella asked, walking right up to the dog and rubbing its head with two fingers. The dog looked up at her with big eyes.

"Actually," Jessica said, and immediately I picked up that tone she got when she was trying to get information out of someone, "he's yours, so I don't know his name."

Both Bella and my head shot up in surprise. "What?!" we said at the same time.

Jessica looked at me with some surprise. I could tell she had thought I was behind this latest gift. Mike was narrowing his eyes slightly at me. I covered up my outburst by averting my eyes and clearing my throat self consciously.

"What do you mean he's mine? I don't have a dog!" Bella's voice was doing this kind of cracking thing that was concerning.

Looking back at Bella, Jessica picked up a gift tag that was attached to the ribbon. It had Bella's name on it clearly. Bella took the tag carefully, as if it might burn her, and flipped it over. I could see writing on the back. As she read it, Bella began to blush. I felt the now irritatingly familiar burn of jealousy and possessiveness was over me.

"So," Jessica tried again, "You have a secret admirer huh?"

Bella looked up, looking a little overwhelmed. "Yea, I guess so. This is just…I mean, I have a little apartment."

"Well, this little guy is a Dachshund. They're good apartment dogs. Very loyal too," Jessica said, stroking the dog's head fondly.

"Well, I mean he's awesome. But my apartment doesn't allow pets."

I saw Mike frown and at that moment I figured it out. Of course, it was obvious. Mike had to be Bella's admirer. It made sense. He had been drooling over her since day one.

"What are you going to do with him then?" Jessica asked, looking genuinely concerned. It was easy to see she was a dog lover.

"How about this," I jumped in, pushing my revelation aside before I could snap at Newton and his poor taste in gifts. "My apartment allows pets, and I have a bigger yard. What if I adopt him and then you can visit him whenever you want?"

The dog barked a little yip that wouldn't disturb any neighbors. Bella laughed. "I guess it's settled then," she grinned, obviously happy with the compromise. Newton looked less than pleased. I tried not to look smug.

Bella accompanied me to the pet store to pick up the supplies we needed. "What are you going to call him?" I asked her.

She gave me a look. "He's living in your home. You should name him."

"Hmmm. How about Zero?" I asked coyly.

"Zero is not a wiener dog!" Bella protested.

"Bella, Zero is a sheet. He could have been a wiener dog in real life," I argued.

She reached into the cart to pet the dog. He nipped at her fingers playfully. "Okay, Zero it is."

Later that night, Zero was resting on my lap as I pondered Mike Newton as competition. I was fairly sure that Bella wasn't interested in him and would ultimately give him the brush off. But would he try to take credit for the gifts I had given her? I knew she liked them. I had seen her trace her fingers over the cover of the journal reverently.

I debated again Alice's advice to tell her it was me. I sighed, reaching into my pocket for the box I had been carrying around all day. I took out the contents, holding it in one hand. "What do you think, Zero?" I asked him. "If I leave this, she'll know it was me. Probably."

She would know because it was something she had admired in the Haunted Mansion shop at Disneyland that day we'd been there with Jessica and Emmett. There was a single display case in that shop that held more expensive and eclectic items. She had pointed to it, remarking how pretty it was.

"This would definitely be considered crossing a line she specifically asked me not to cross," I told Zero. He looked sympathetic. Then he started gnawing on the box. I knocked his snout away gently and sighed. "Beautiful, irrational woman."

I ran a hand through my hair, just as undecided about what I was going to do as ever.

**December 18th**

**BPOV**

"Beast, I'm not going."

I was arguing with Emmett about attending the work Christmas party that started in a few hours. I had been resigned to going for the sake of Emmett's non-particular palate, but after receiving a Christmas card from my secret Santa admirer, I was dreading it.

"Oh yes, Princess, yes you are going."

I felt like I was in some weird Christmas story. Except that I was going to fuck up the Lifetime movie ending for the underdog character in the story. I groaned and pulled one of Rosalie's designer pillows over my face. "I'm not going. I'm going to ruin someone's Christmas."

"You are going," Emmett insisted again. "All that's going to happen if you don't go is that you're going to push this confrontation off until Monday. Then you're going to make Monday, which - by the way - sucks enough as it is, even worse for the poor sap. If you don't go tonight, then you're going to deprive me of a chocolate fondue fountain on top of your sins as a destroyer of Christmas spirit."

I started to hit him over the head with the pillow. "Not helping, Emmett, g'dammit. You and your logic. Why do you hate me?"

"Stop it. You're messing up my mane." Emmett laughed and grabbed the pillow from me.

"You're too big to be Young Simba. You'd be Pumba if you were anyone. Except Pumba probably smells better," I groused at him.

"Well, you're not tough enough to be Nala if you're not tough enough to break some poor idiot's heart at the company Christmas party." I grimaced at him. "Alice dropped by with a new dress she says is perfect. Go put it on."

I grumbled but did as I was told. I got ready and before I knew it, we were outside of the hall where the party was being held. Rosalie looked amazing, as per usual. I secretly hoped that walking in with her and Emmett, I would pale in comparison and whoever my Secret Santa was would lose interest. Then again, that was unlikely as she had Emmett on her arm. Guys could be practical about the whole thing when Emmett was around. They thought that he could turn them into a pretzel so Rosalie was pretty well off limits. No one had so much as eye-fucked her in Emmett's presence; they were so intimidated by him.

"So, how does this go down?" Emmett asked, though his eye was already on the buffet.

"Bella?" came a nervous voice. We all three turned around to see Mike Newton looking fairly decent except for the fact he was wearing reindeer antlers.

With flashing lights wrapped around them. Oye.

"Guess that answers that question," I heard Rosalie mutter as she led Emmett away.

"Uh, hi," I said, because this wasn't awkward at all.

And I wasn't the least bit disappointed that it wasn't Edward after all.

Keep telling yourself that, Swan.

Anyway. So we were kind of doing this staring thing with the opening the mouth, figuring out that you don't know what to say and then closing it again. We must have looked like fish.

Finally he gave a laugh. "Man, this is much easier when you're anonymous."

I gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry; I'm not really any good at this. I'm...so flattered."

He tilted his head, making the reindeer antlers look even more ridiculous as they twinkled at me. "I sense a but in here," he said, already looking a little sad.

Fuck me with the wounded puppy dog look. Jesus Christ. I felt like the Grinch, but what was I supposed to do? I mean, life ambitions of spinsterhood aside, I had no click with Mike. At. All. "Why me, Mike? Honestly, I just don't get it."

Mike gaped a bit. "Wow, I wasn't expecting that. Uh...You're really... very pretty," he said sheepishly. "Um...look, how about a dance? Just one dance?" He gave me an honest smile. "Maybe I'll dazzle you with my dance moves," he teased.

I had to smile. He was taking it like a champ and I respected that. "Alright...but I have to warn you, I might kill your toes."

"Hey, my toes can handle it." He extended a hand to me and we walked out onto the floor where a few other couples were already dancing.

"I'm really sorry I can't return the gesture," I said honestly. Mike seemed like a nice enough guy after all. "I just don't think you really know me well enough to like me like that."

He gave a small shrug and a smile. "I kind of figured that out when I saw you with the other gifts. You seemed to enjoy them so much more."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What other gifts?"

He tilted his head again as we danced. "The ... other ones. The ones that had you smiling so much. Especially that journal. Man, when I saw that I knew I had to do something big to try to top that. I don't know why I thought a dog would be a good idea though. I'm sorry about that."

I stopped dancing to gape at him. "Wait...go back to the part where not all of the gifts were from you."

"You didn't know? I mean, I was a little pissed off when whoever it was started using my idea...and then I really couldn't stop." He shrugged, a little sheepish again. "I'm competitive. And a little stubborn when it comes to girls."

I had to laugh. "You know, it might have worked on a girl a little less...neurotic than I am," I said, as we started dancing again.

We danced in a pleasant enough silence for a minute before he spoke again. "You know, Bella... whoever gave you those other gifts. You should find out who it is. You said I don't know you, and that's true, I have to admit. But if whoever knows you well enough to know what could make you smile like that.... Well, let's just say I would have liked to have been the one to earn a smile that big. From anyone, really."

We fell back into silence and I was deep in thought. Someone who knew me well enough to know that a journal, not just any journal but that particular one, would please me.

Really, there was only one person who it could be then.

And in that moment, acknowledging what I must have known all along, I saw everything I hadn't let myself think about. I saw how much Edward's conversations and notes on my book had sparked the creative flow in me again, and how, after talking with him the first time, I had started to see what I had felt was "wrong" with my story. I had sensed, for long months, that there was something missing, but Edward had found it after that first reading.

I saw in-depth writing discussions with him, not just as friends and co-workers over coffee, but as lovers and partners. I wanted laptops in bed while we lounged in reading glasses and robes.

I saw how easily we bantered back and forth at work or when we were hanging out with the rest of the gang. I wanted that playful banter while we tugged at clothes and kicked off shoes.

I saw how much fun trips to Disneyland had been while we were just friends. I wanted to hold his hand and take cheesy pictures in front of the castle...and kiss him during the fireworks...and whisper naughty jokes to him about all the places I could go down on him in the Magic Kingdom.

I wanted to help him as he had helped me. He had told me once he didn't know what to do with his life. I wanted to help him figure that out. I wanted to help him achieve his goals, and be there when he succeeded, because I knew he would.

I wanted everything that I hadn't let myself want.

I threw my arms around Mike's neck, suddenly intensely grateful. If he hadn't started this little game, I might never have come to this realization.

"What-wh," Mike sputtered, terribly surprised by my sudden behavior. His hands fluttered awkwardly at my back, trying to figure out what to do.

"I'm sorry. I just... I needed to thank you. I've just figured out I've had my head up my ass and that's why my life stinks right now," I babbled.

"Um, you're welcome. I think?" Mike was obviously confused. I laughed and backed away from him.

Over his shoulder I saw Jessica, wearing a green Santa hat with elf ears, looking alone and a little forlorn...and she happened to be standing under the mistletoe. This was cheese waiting to happen. "Have you ever thought about Jessica, Mike?" I nodded and he turned to look in the direction I was looking. "She seemed to like Zero quite a bit."

"Huh," he said, obviously having not thought about it before. "Who's Zero?" he asked absently.

I nearly balked. Really? Who hadn't seen the Nightmare Before Christmas?

Typically, I would have schooled his ass good and proper but I was post-epiphany and fairly desperate to find out if Edward was here yet.

"Zero is what we named the dog you gave me," I said to him, suddenly in a hurry.

"We?" Mike asked, still looking at Jessica thoughtfully.

I just smiled and pecked him quickly on the cheek. "Thanks again, Mike. For everything."

I turned around and started scanning the crowded room for Edward. I found him almost instantly. He was across the room, looking delicious as ever even from behind. Maybe especially from behind. Though, his ass was definitely not his best feature.

God, it felt so good to be able to admit that without having to beat the thought back.

Through all that ogling, it took me a minute to realize that he seemed to be arguing with Alice. He seemed a little upset, even. Alice had her hand on his arm and appeared to be tugging him backward. His body was angled toward the door.

Then I realized what he must have seen, and how it might have looked out of context while I was out on the floor with Mike... especially if he knew that it was Mike who had been sending me gifts...too.

Oh, crap.

**EPOV**

That rat bastard.

I walked in the door only to find Mike and Bella already out on the dance floor. She was smiling. I kept on watching them, a mixture of panic, anger and jealousy churning in me. What if I was too late? What if he did take credit for my gifts? What if Bella, for whatever reason, decided to give up her non-dating policy for Newton and not me?

That last fear seemed to be reality when I saw her throw her arms around his neck. I turned away, unable to watch anymore without going insane. I couldn't fathom being able to watch them together for the rest of the evening, let alone the rest of my working career. I was already thinking about how I would need to get a new job, immediately, when I found Alice in the crowd. She and Jasper had found a table big enough for our entire group. Fuck if i was going to sit there with Bella and Mike.

I felt a little sick. I felt like I was halfway between being physically ill and running out on that floor to tear her out of his arms. I knew I had no right to be angry at Mike - not when I had edged in on a game he'd started, but I couldn't help it. One way or another, this was going to end badly if I stayed.

I needed to get out. Unfortunately, Alice was being stubborn. When I'd told her I was leaving, she had grabbed my arm.

"Alice, I just want to get out of here. I'm sure they won't mind if you want to stay and enjoy the party. Jasper can drive you home." I tugged my hand, trying to get out of my sister's grasp.

She only held on tighter. "Just wait," she commanded. She let go of my hand but gave me a look that promised retribution if I tried to take off.

I growled in frustration, running my hand through my hair. "What am I waiting for?!"

"Edward?"

I froze, my body tensing automatically. There was something new in her voice. She sounded…smaller; uncertain. My eyes flew to Alice who was looking at me with a smug smirk. I turned around slowly.

Of course, it was Bella. Bella in a gorgeous blue dress that set off her skin perfectly and long, flowing hair. Her face mirrored the uncertainty in her voice and she was looking at me with the strangest expression. It was torn between hope, longing and … well, uncertainty.

I looked back out on the floor, trying to figure out where Mike went. I found him under the mistletoe. He and Jessica were staring at each other with gooey eyes.

I was confused.

Bella let out a bit of a frustrated sigh and grabbed my hand. She started towing me out of the room. I followed her obediently, beginning to let hope seep into the emotions that were wrecking havoc on my insides. She led us down a hallway and found a darkened room, away from all the party-goers.

We stared at each other, her biting her lip and looking at me as if she was expecting me to speak first. I didn't know what to say. Finally, she broke the silence."I need to know...were you trying to help him or were you trying to one-up him?"

My self defense mechanisms were faster than my brain. "Help who with what?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly, an uncertain look flitting across her featured before she squashed it. "Please don't play this game, Edward. It has to be you. I'm just trying to figure out why you didn't tell me."

I let out a slow breath, reprocessing her words for clarity. Then everything just tumbled out of me like water over Niagara Falls - nothing could stop it. "Help him? I was definitely not trying to help him. I don't know what I was trying to do, honestly. I just...needed to do something. I understand your viewpoint. I really do, but... I want this more than anything I've ever wanted before. I can't tell you how terrifying that is for me in the first place. Then to have it, to have you right in front of me. To know that you feel this too, that I'm not crazy... it's maddening. It's maddening to try to be your friend when I want it all - God help me, I even want THIS if it means I have you in my life at all. It's so difficult for me not to express physically what I think and feel. I knew you never would have let me give you gifts...so I suppose I saw the loophole."

She was staring at me. I honestly couldn't tell what type of a stare it was. I started to panic, realizing I could lose everything. Even her friendship. "Look, Bella. I know what you told me, and I'm sorry. I should respect your wishes. I want to respect your wishes. I just... I can learn to be friends with-"

Suddenly her hand was over my mouth, pinching my lips shut between gentle fingers. "Shut up."

She was smiling ever so slightly, and the feeling of her soft skin on my lips was electric and soothing all at once. The hope inside of me started to get bigger.

"Which ones were you?" she asked, releasing her hold on my mouth but not stepping out of my personal bubble.

"The edible arrangement was the first gift I got."

"Why?"

"Because...you would think flowers were unnecessary. You like to share what you have. You'd prefer flowers you could share with other people." My mouth quirked involuntarily. I adored this woman well beyond reason.

She blinked several times, and I hoped she was putting together the pieces. I know you. I thought at her.

"You were the journal." It was not a question.

"Yes," I confirmed anyway.

Her eyes were soft as she looked at me then. "The journal - it's the most beautiful gift I think I've ever received Edward." Her voice was heavy with emotion. A good emotion from the look on her face.

"I had to do something to counteract that awful CD," I teased her lightly.

She laughed. "It was bad. Really bad." She pursed her lips, and I could see she was counting back the gifts in her head. "Then you were the Florentines, right?"

"Chocolates are...boring. The Florentines... they're an experience. They're decadent. Anything in that bakery is a work of art in and of itself, I thought you could appreciate that," I smiled at her again.

"You got Alice and Jasper to get them for you didn't you?" she asked, beginning to smile back at me.

I nodded. "They knew about everything. You know, everything Alice knows, Jasper knows, but I think he kept it from Emmett."

She stepped forward again and we were almost touching. That distracting and titillating aura that crackled between us was nearly tangible. "You're missing a gift... what counteracts Zero?"

At that my breath caught. Shit. She'd just tossed the ball in my court.

**BPOV  
**  
His eyes suddenly seemed to shrink, tightening and looking slightly worried. I started to tell him it was okay if he didn't have anything, I was only teasing, but then I realized his hand had slipped into the pocket of his jacket. He really did have something. Whatever it was made him nervous. And that made me nervous.

"I uh-," he began, and then laughed a little. "I wanted to give this to you before, but I thought you'd know it was me. And, I did have every intention of respecting your wishes, but it was hard." He swallowed hard, furrowing his oddly not unattractive furry eyebrows. It occurred to me that even his eyebrows gave me warm, fuzzy feelings. Ack, when did I get so gross? "This doesn't have to mean anything you don't want it to, Bella. I want you to have it no matter what."

He reached forward and grabbed my hand, sending a jolt of tingling energy straight up my arm and down my spine. He put something cool in my hand and closed my fingers around it without looking away from me. For a moment, I was too lost in his eyes to look down at what was in my hand. Finally, curiosity got the better of my giddy emotions.

It was a necklace. It was silver, and it was familiar. I finally recognized it as the necklace I stared at almost every time I was at Disneyland. The chain was simple, but it led down to a disc covered by a small bulb of glass. Painted onto the disc, in delicate miniature, was the silhouette of Jack and Sally on their hill in Halloweentown, from the end of the movie as they clasp hands.

I ran my hand over the glass, understanding all the layers of meaning in this simple gift. That he knew how much anything Nightmare related meant to me. That he had listened, even to the smallest detail; enough to know how much I had admired this piece.

And, not the least by any means, that this could be us. This could mean us.

I felt ridiculous moisture in my eyes. Surely, I wasn't the emotional sap who would cry at such a moment. "Wouldn't that make me Jack?" I asked, my voice cracking, seeming to keep with this whole ridiculous, emotional theme. "Distracted by what I think I want when Sally was there right in front of me all along?"

His smile quirked again. I thought about seeing his smile every day, and I was smiling too. "I didn't make you a Sandy Claws suit, Jack," he murmured, taking the necklace from my open palm.

"That's okay Sally... I like it here in Halloweentown after all."

He unclasped the necklace and held it open, but stayed back. "You have to want this, Bella. If you don't want this you're going to doom it before it starts."

I took a deep breath. Suddenly, I had no words. I knew what I wanted, but I couldn't make myself say the words I wanted to say.

So I borrowed some from Jack Skellington - my namesake.

"My dearest friend, if you don't mind, I'd like to join you by your side." When I spoke, my voice was clear - if a little fast.

A slow, gorgeous smile spread across Edward's face. He stepped forward with the necklace and I lifted my hair. As he attached it around my neck, he finished the song. "Where we could gaze into the stars, and sit together now and forever. For it is plain as anyone could see. We're simply meant to be."

**A/N: ::facepalm:: Did I just go for the cheesiest ending of all time? Ah, whatever. I don't regret it. Onwards!**


	5. Epilogue: I Miss You

**Epilogue: I Miss You **

**Disclaimer: These beautiful creatures belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

_**"We can live like Jack and Sally if we want**_  
_**Where you can always find me**_  
_**And we'll have Halloween on Christmas**_  
_**And in the night we'll wish this never ends" **_  
_**-I Miss You, Blink 182**_

EPOV  
December 31

I wanted everything to be perfect.

Bella knew we were going to Disneyland for New Years Eve, but she didn't know what I had planned. I had been playing it casual so I was fairly sure she didn't even have a clue what I was up to.

We walked, hand in hand, through the entrance plaza, glancing at each other occasionally with adoring smiles. I did adore her. Tonight would be the first of many nights I would spoil her rotten. I only hoped she'd let me.

"Come on," I said, tugging her toward our first destination. She furrowed her eyebrows, confused, but followed me trustingly.

I stopped in front of the guided tours booth. A cast member was waiting there, just as I had been promised. "Mr. Cullen, Miss Swan I presume?"

I nodded, noticing Bella's gape-mouthed expression out of the corner of my eye. I had to struggle not to laugh.

The cast member had us both decked out in light up Disney paraphernalia in minutes, including the blinking ears. He stopped when we had gotten to the point that I was sure we were going to induce a seizure in someone - what with all the flashing lights.

We followed the cast member around the park, through hidden areas as he narrated the history of Disneyland. I could tell Bella was enthralled. She loved the hidden areas the most as she would get this delighted grin on her face that was just fucking adorable, and she would squeeze the bejesus out of my hand.

The closer we got to New Orleans Square, the more nervous I got. The what-ifs mounted in my head, growing as quickly as Tetris blocks when you get really close to the top of the Tetris tower. You know - right before you lose monumentally? What if this was too much, too fast? What if she didn't like it? What if -

"And so here we are," the cast member said, coming to the halt at the bottom of stairs I had never been up. "In 2008, during the year of a million dreams, Disney's dream suite was given away to a family almost every night. Tonight, however," he moved aside the sign that barred entrance to the suite with a grand, sweeping gesture, "it is yours."

Bella's eyes shot up to me. "What?!"

I stepped up the first couple steps and bowed to her, holding my hand out and feeling a little bit like an idiot. "Your palace awaits, my princess."

Obviously stunned beyond words, Bella took my hand. We followed the cast member up the winding staircase while Bella kept casting glances backward. "What are you doing?" I whispered to her.

"I keep expecting someone to stop us. I keep expecting this not to be real." She looked dazed.

I chuckled and tucked an errant strand of hair off of her face tenderly. "This dream doesn't end at midnight, Cinderella."

The cast member was waiting, smiling at us indulgently. When he was sure he had our attention again, he opened the door to the suite. I had to admit, I was floored. I'd seen pictures of the suite before, of course, but seeing it in person was... astounding.

"The living room," the cast member narrated as we both looked around the room in awe, "is done in a French Provincial style just as the rest of New Orleans Square. As you walk around the suite take care to notice each individual item. Hopefully, you'll find yourself remembering all the magic Disney has brought to your lives - through the park, movies, music. Every item in the suite is designed to remind you of Walt Disney's dream."

As we stumbled slowly forward, the cast member opened a door off to the right. "There are two master bedrooms in this suite. This one is done in the style and spirit of early 20th century innovation and the American frontier. You will notice the earth tones in the colors and furniture."

He let us look around another moment before moving across the hall and opening another door. "This second master bedroom should give you the feel of an enchanted jungle, favoring the bedtime stories of the Victorian era, such as the Jungle Book."

In addition to the living room and both bedrooms, there was also an outdoor patio, adorned with Chinese lanterns, a patio facing the Rivers of America, and a bathroom that was almost the size of my entire apartment. The cast member lit the fire in the living room, showing us how it was designed to spark, making it look like there were fireworks over the gold plated fireplace cover that was in the shape of Sleeping Beauty's Castle. "You'll find there are many secrets to uncover in the Dream Suite," he assured us. I felt a twinge of gratefulness that I had had the foresight to reserve the suite for two nights as I wanted to discover all of the secrets.

And I was fairly sure that I would be too busy tonight to really appreciate the hidden magic of this suite. There were other treasures I was much, much more interested in.

There was a knock at the door and then two more cast members came in with trays. They laid the trays out on the patio before leaving us alone for the evening.

Bella was in my arms before the door to the suite had closed. "Oh my God, Edward. How did you pull this off? I can't even begin to imagine what this must be costing you."

I laughed as I held her to me, rubbing her back and kissing the top of her head. "Don't you worry about that." I held her at arms length. "Good surprise then?"

"Uh, yea," she said in a 'well, duh' voice. "You're only fulfilling about a thousand childhood fantasies."

"Hmm," I murmured, allowing my hands to fall, looping around her waist loosely. I leaned in close to her so I could whisper in her ear. "I'm hoping to fulfill a few adult fantasies as well."

Her hands flew to my face, pulling me closer. She started to kiss me hungrily and I kissed her back, pulling her against me.

It took me a minute to remember we were, technically, in public and that there was an extravagant meal getting cold there on the balcony table. I backed up slightly though my lips were still brushing hers as I spoke. "Come on, Princess. Plenty of time for all that. Let me feed you first."

She stubbornly knotted her hands in my hair, and continued to kiss me for another few minutes before she let me pry her away. I had to laugh again, utterly thrilled that I could make her so happy.

We ate the wonderful food and drank the even better wine. The meal even came with one of Disney's more elegant deserts. The food was delicious and the company even better. We had just finished eating when Fantasmic started. Perfect timing, just as I had hoped.

Bella gave up her chair in favor of climbing onto my lap. "You know, Emmett is going to be so jealous. One time we sat right down on the docks, in front of the fence for almost two hours so we could have the best view. But it was windy, and the wind blew the water straight into us when they did the first wall-of-water bit. Then, it got too windy and they had to stop the performance. So there we were - two hours wasted and covered in putrid, chemical water!"

I laughed, kissing the side of her head. "So you're saying this view is a little better then?" I smirked against her hair. The view was entirely unobstructed.

Bella turned to me and smiled mischievously. "Just a little."

When the show ended we wandered back inside to explore the suite a little more.

"I'm going to move into this bathroom," Bella declared, running her fingers over the deep blue tiles that covered the domed enclosure of the whirlpool bathtub. She continued to walk around the bathroom, taking in every small detail. I continued to watch her, drinking in every minute quirk of her lips and eyebrows.

She walked in front of the twin sinks, running her fingers over the intricate carvings on the wooden drawer. She looked up into the huge mirror that hung over the sink and her eyes caught mine.

Then I needed her.

I stepped forward slowly, taking off my jacket as I walked and letting it slide to the floor. She didn't turn, instead watching my reflection as I stepped up behind her. When I was close enough to her that my chest was nearly against her back she started to turn toward me but I grabbed her head gently, keeping her still. Her breath caught, but she said nothing.

"Watch us," I commanded quietly but intensely. Not taking my eyes off hers in the mirror, I slid my hands from her head slowly down her neck, down across her shoulders. I slipped her jacket off of her and threw it to the side. With our eyes still connected, a heated fervor had started to fill my body. I felt frantic to have her; to be inside her right then.

I forced myself to go slow. Besides the fact I knew she was mine to savor without rushing, I also knew that my slow pace was driving her to the edge. He cheeks were flushed and she was biting her lip.

I let my fingers play at her neck, eliciting soft shudders from her parted lips. Her eyes fluttered and she leaned back against me. When she leaned her head against my chest and started to close her eyes I dipped my head to her ear. "Watch," I commanded again.

My hands went to the collar of her button down shirt and I slowly began to work the buttons, exposing her bare skin to me inch by torturous inch.

Done with the row of buttons, I let my fingers trace mindless patterns against the skin of her stomach, up her torso, skipping deliberately over her lace covered breasts to play with the necklace that hung at her collarbone before finally slipping the shirt off her shoulders and tossing it in the direction of her jacket. I swept her hair off of one shoulder so I could kiss her back, simultaneously putting my hands on either side of her waist and pulling her against me.

"Edward," she said, her voice no more than a whisper. I realized I had broken eye contact to kiss her skin and she wanted to watch me.

We were watching each other slowly become undone.

Moving my hands to the front of her slacks I rubbed her lightly, teasingly, over her clothes. Her chest rose and fell sharply, the flush in her cheeks spreading all the way down her body as I touched her.

"Edward, you're making me insane."

"I beg to differ; you were insane before I ever came along. Or was it some other beguiling creature that I caught throwing pencils at the ceiling?" Keeping my eyes on her this time, I leaned down to run my tongue from her shoulders up to her neck. She shivered delicately.

"Do you remember? I saw you, sitting there on your desk, and even with your back to me you were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen." As I spoke, my lips against her ear, my hands unbuttoned her slacks and pulled the zipped down. "The curves of your body are so graceful."

"Graceful?" she laughed, and gasped when my fingers started rubbing her outside of her lacy panties. "I'm sure it was very graceful when I fell right off the desk."

"Mmm." I traced my fingers over the edges of her panties, teasing myself almost as much as I was teasing her. "I still remember how you felt in my arms. I wanted to push you right over the desk and have you right then and there."

"Edward," she breathed again. She sounded urgent. "I'm here now. Take me. Now."

She pressed herself back against me so her ass ground against my very obvious erection. I moaned, watching my own eyes hood with lust. I cupped her over her panties. Even through the thin fabric I could feel how wet she was.

Slow went right out the window.

I yanked her panties down past her knees, my movements going from languid to quick. My hands found hers and I guided them to rest flat on the counter in front of us. Then I put one hand at her waist, guiding her backward a couple of steps while the other hand went to her upper back, pushing her gently but urgently forward over the counter. She went willingly, our connection in the mirror sending an overwhelming thrill through both of us. Lust. Passion. Love. Adoration. I felt it all for her in that moment. She was everything in my entire world. And everything I felt I saw reflected back at me in her eyes.

She spread her legs, her look in the mirror at once inviting and imploring. I made quick work of my own pants and boxer shorts while she playfully wiggled her ass at me. Caught up in my lust for her, I didn't even bother to step out of them. Instead, I ran a hand over her ass with one hand while I used the other to guide my cock along her folds, coating it in the moisture there before working myself inside of her. Apparently, I was taking too long because she thrust back against me until I was fully sheathed in her. It was warm and fuckgood. I wondered briefly how I had gone so much of my life without this feeling. She consumed me, physically and otherwise. She surrounded me.

With our eyes connected I could see what every thrust did to her. I could watch the pleasure I gave her at the same time I saw my own face. I was a man deeply in love, and completely unraveled by this amazing creature. I looked it. "Look at us, baby," I leaned my body over hers so I could kiss her ear as I whispered to her.

"We're sublime," she said, a definite twinkle in her eye.

I reached around to cup her breasts, still covered in that lacy bra, and pulled her roughly against me. She whimpered in pleasure. "Magnificent," I agreed.

She gyrated her hips against me, causing me to utter a deep, guttural groan against her shoulder. "Bewitching."

I let one hand wander down to her clit and began to stroke her in time with my thrusts, faster and faster. The faces we made might have been comical, but in our little bubble, with the emotion of our connected bodies and souls, it was... awesome. Not the surfer dude kind of awesome, but the overwhelmingly reverent variety of awe. I smirked at her, watching her eyelids flutter as she struggled not to close her eyes against the emotions and the things I knew she was feeling. "Ravishing," I whispered, biting on her earlobe.

Her orgasm sent me straight over the edge and we came together  
My legs began to tremble and I had to take my hands off of her to lean on the counter before I collapsed. I held myself close to her but not crushing her as I lay my head against her back, catching my breath. The skin of her back was damp against my cheek.

After a few moments like that she wiggled beneath me. I stood up straight again, keeping my arms on either side of her on the counter. She stood and spun around, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me down to her. Between kisses she managed to hop up on the counter without injuring either of us.

Our kisses slowed as our tongues met, beginning a slow, sensual dance. As we kissed I kicked my pants off and away from where they had pooled around my ankles. Her hands went to my shirt, undoing the buttons without at an unhurried pace. I ran my hands up her side, enjoying the way her body shuddered pleasantly under my fingertips. My fingers traipsed along her spine and she whimpered against my lips. I unhooked her bra with one hand while the other went to her cheek, stroking her chin with my thumb.

We parted only long enough for us to shrug out of our remaining clothing. Her bra fell to the floor, joined shortly by my shirt and undershirt. She wrapped her legs around me as our lips found each other again. I slid my hands beneath her, pulling to me. When her arms were firmly around my neck again I lifted her, carrying her to the bedroom without breaking our kiss.

I laid her down on the huge, canopy bed. She reached out, clasping my hand as she scooted back. I understood. I didn't want to be apart from her right now. I wanted to be connected, in some way, at all times. She turned onto her side, her bedroom eyes hooded and tender, beckoning me to join her. I didn't hesitate. I climbed onto the bed and lay on my side by her, twining our legs together.

"Are you happy, Bella?" I asked her softly. Staring at her flushed pink face, with her hair wild around her and her shy smile, my happiness could very well choke me. But I knew she worried about us.

Instead of answering immediately she unwound her hand from mine and brought her fingers up to my face. She traced my features with gentle fingers, like she was marveling. My heartfelt full of hope and my love for her. "I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you how lucky I feel. That I get to be here with you. That you didn't give up on me... what I could have missed."

"You give me too much credit. I couldn't have stayed away from you if I tried. I'm lucky that I wore you down," I teased. Her fingers trailed over my lips and I grabbed her wrist to stop her movements. I kissed her fingertips reverently. "I love you, Bella," I told her for the first time.

Her breath caught and the smile that spread across her face was blinding. "I love you too."

I needed her again. Keeping her wrist in my hand, I wrapped my lips around her finger, taking it into my mouth and running my tongue over it. She gasped lightly, and I saw the glint in her eyes a second before she brought her knee up. She used the way our legs were tangled to her advantage, rubbing her knee gently against my budding erection.

After a few minutes of teasing hands and tongues, I rolled her onto her back and thrust myself inside of her for the second time that night. I whispered dirty things in her ear about how tight and wet and perfect she was. She gasped and made the most provocative noises as she moved with me. This woman drove me so wonderfully crazy.

We were so lost in each other that the sound of a LOT of people counting down startled us. "10-9-8." We looked at each other and giggled, her laughter doing tantalizing things to the way our bodies were connected. I moved in her faster. "7-6-5-4-3-2-1."

The noise outside coincided with the first of the fireworks going off. It was a fitting accompaniment to the intensity that was building in me. Bella had her arms around me and I felt her fingernails digging into the skin of my back as she arched up to meet my thrusts. We came together for the second time that night as the fireworks outside exploded in their grand finale.

It was, far and away, one of the most perfect moments of my life.

**A/N: To my DizzyGrl28 who beta'ed this thing all through the night the night it was due. To CB for inspiring it. Much love!**

**So…she can do fluff. I know. It's weird. I think it's weird. This was my first longer story that I did in first person PoV. That was an interesting experience for sure.**

**Melly has been bugging me to do a smut-tastic Disneyland sex outtake for this story. Since I'm a pain in the ass, Melly usually gets what she wants…sooooo if you're interested in that, let me know.**

**Just let me know what you thought! You know you always make my day when you do.**


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